When Mahindra launched the BE 6 and the XEV 9e all-electric SUVs late last year, both models received a lot of traction on social media platforms. Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and CEO (Auto and Farm Sector) at Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “The cumulative viewership of all the digital content that went up after the launch in November has been over 1.4 billion,” in an interaction with Autocar India.
While that’s a big number on social media, the carmaker has also garnered fair interest from actual customers following its public showcase at the recently concluded Auto Expo. Jejurikar says there were two key reasons driving initial interest in the BE 6 and XEV 9e, and that also sets the tone for the uptake of EVs in general.
Real world range and battery warranty driving confidence
“The first reason is the real-world range that customers can expect. With 500+ kms range [for the larger battery] based on our internal testing, most customers wouldn’t have to charge more than once a week. Very often, it will be just 2-3 times in a month. That has been a very important removal of barrier,” said Jejurikar.
Indeed, both the BE 6 and the XEV 9e have the largest battery packs (59kWh and 79kWh) of all electric SUVs in this price range. While we are yet to put both these models through Autocar India’s range test, an ARAI-claimed range of up to 556km for the 59kWh battery and up to 682km for the larger 79kWh battery does look promising.
The other factor driving confidence, says Jejurikar, is the lifetime warranty that the company is offering with the battery pack. “A big concern for customers was the lifespan of a battery, but our lifetime warranty helps sort that out as well,” elaborates Jejurikar.
Mahindra XEV 9e price and specifications compared with rivals
‘Three for Me’ financing package for Pack Three variants
While official bookings are set to commence from February 14, Mahindra says the company is seeing higher interest for the top-spec Pack Three variant, primarily driven by the equipment set and the larger battery. Interestingly, to make the Pack Three more accessible to customers, the brand has grouped up with Mahindra Finance to offer attractive financing solutions.
“We created a package with Mahindra Finance which we are calling ‘Three for Me’. This allows customers to pay the same EMI for the Pack Three as they’d do for Pack One with a ballooning payment or multiple other flexible finance options at the end. It is because of the initial feedback and interest in Pack Three variants that we created this package,” explains Jejurikar.
Mahindra is currently conducting test drives for the BE 6 and XEV 9e in a phased manner across cities in India, and deliveries are set commence in March. The company is certainly betting big on its born EVs, and the final word on their demand will only be clearer once the products have been in the market for a few months, but for now, the company seems chuffed by the positive initial response.
“Every category needs an inflection point, and hopefully, 2025 will be the year when the uptake in this category finally begins to take off,” said Jejurikar.
WITH INPUTS FROM KETAN THAKKAR
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