Mahindra Reva spotted testing the Maxximo Electric Van

Mahindra Reva sells a solitary product in India, in the form of the E2O electric car. However, the Indian electric car maker has plans of offering electric mobility solutions in a wide range of vehicles, ranging from sedans to mini pick up trucks. Mahindra Reva first displayed electric variants of the Gio and Maxximo mini pick up trucks, and the Verito sedan at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. While the electric variants of the Gio and Verito are yet to hit the testing phase, the electric version of the Maxximo van, in its latest guise,  has already begun road tests in India.

One such test mule was spotted recently on Bangalore roads. Incidentally, Bangalore’s Electronics City IT corridor also plays host to Mahindra Reva’s Indian factory. Test mules of the E2O electric car have been regularly spotted testing in the vicinity of the Mahindra Reva factory, and therefore the spotting of the Maxximo Electric van doesn’t come as a surprise. The Maxximo Electric van that was spotted even features Mahindra Reva’s Quick2Charge technology, first seen on the E2O electric car. The addition of this features means that Mahindra Reva is constantly working to enhance the capabilities of the Maxximo electric van.

At the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, Mahindra Reva showcased an electric variant of the Maxximo van, which featured a 20 Hp electric motor running on lithium ion batteries, and capable of delivering a 90 kilometers range and a 55 Kph top speed.  The electric variant of the Maxximo van also gets disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear, with a regenerative braking system. The van’s gross weight at, 2165 kilograms, makes it about 415 kilograms heavier than the diesel powered version. Since the Mahindra Maxximo van is mainly intended for short hop trips within crowded inner city roads, an electric propulsion option for the Maxximo with a range of about 150 kilometers would fit in quite well.

Right from inception, the Mahindra Maxximo has been a tech packed offering in its segment, with the van being the first diesel powered model to feature common rail injection technology in its segment. So, an electric propulsion option for the Maxximo van comes across as a logical progression for the Maxximo brand. However, expect the electric variant of the van to go into production only if the Indian government rolls out subsidies aimed at electric and hybrid vehicles under the already much-delayed National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020.

Spyshots courtesy Team-BHP