Mahindra Adds an Electric Sedan

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has introduced the eVerito, an all-electric variant of its Logan-based sedan, for the Indian market. The company targets first-year sales of about 1,000 units.

The eVerito joins the Reva e2o, an electric two-door introduced two years ago by the company’s Reva Electric Vehicles affiliate. M&M, which has sold roughly 1,500 Reva e2o models, expects to double its volume for that car by introducing the vehicle in Norway later this year.

M&M says it invested 670 million rupees ($10 million) to develop the eVerito. The company has capacity to make 15,000 EVs per year at its Nashik factory, using electric powertrains produced at its Bangalore factory. The company says it will soon add an electric minivan, the Supro. M&M plans to increase EV exports of all three models to neighboring markets such as Sri Lanka.

The eVerito sedan will be offered in three trim levels at a starting price of 950,000 rupees ($14,200). M&M says the car can be fast-charged to 80% of capacity in less than two hours. It has a range of 110 km (68 miles) and includes a “revive” feature that enables the car to travel an additional 8 km (5 miles) when the battery is nearly depleted.

The Indian government is promoting EV sales with incentives to manufacturers and consumers through an 8 billion-rupee ($119 million) National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, now in its second year. The plan’s FAME program (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles) offers EV buyers as much as 138,000 rupees ($2,100).

India also has named Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. to begin installing 140 quick-charge EV facilities in Delhi later this year.