Soon, Mahindra will take on Tesla

Indian automaker Mahindra will soon compete with Tesla. Yes, this information comes in straight from Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of the Mahindra group, which now owns a slew of automotive brands ranging from Pininfarina to Ssangyong, and even Reva Electric. And the Mahindra group’s first electric vehicle that’ll take on Tesla will be showcased in a few months from now, at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018.

What! How?

In 2015, Mahindra acquired Pininfarina, an Italian design company that has been responsible for the design of many Ferraris, among many other cars. Back then, Mr. Anand Mahindra made a promise to the founders of Pininfarina that the design house will eventually begin building cars. The electric vehicles that’ll be built by and sold under the Pininfarina brand will be how Mahindra will fulfil that promise of his.

Meanwhile, here’s what he had to say to NDTV’s Car&Bike, about the new project,

We are hoping to build a really high-end, crowd-pleasing Pininfarina electric – that’s in the works. That was the dream (becoming car makers) of the founders of Pininfarina. So when we acquired it – I personally made a promise to them that when we invest we will fulfil the dream of the original founder of Pininfarina.

The high-end cars that Pininfarina will build are meant to compete with Tesla, which is one of the world’s leading electric car makers. So, expect massive range as well as performance. The Pininfarina-branded electric cars are expected to be style icons, in keeping with the brand’s history. In the next 3-5 years, an electric sedan, a hatchback and an SUV are expected to roll out under the new EV brand.

Will India get these cars?

For now, there’s absolutely no word about Mahindra launching the Pininfarina branded electric cars in India. Eventually, these cars may arrive here but for now, we simply don’t know. Mahindra is India’s only electric car and commercial vehicle player currently, and the automaker also runs a Formula E racing effort. The automaker has plans to launch a range of electric vehicles in the coming years.