Mahindra & Mahindra to develop full-scale hybrid SUV

The company, which may debut its hybrids at February's Indian Motor Show, has established a place for itself in green technologies with close to four lakh so called micro-hybrid vehicles on Indian roads. It also owns the world's largest electric car company by production capacity, Mahindra Reva, which sells the E2O hatchback, the world's most affordable four-seater car that only uses battery power to run.

The company is now moving to the next level of sustainable green mobility by focusing on full-scale hybrids and has roped in technology partners that have the expertise.

"We have signed up with Samsung SDI, which is the global leader in lithium ion batteries for development and supply of these batteries for our hybrid range of vehicles," said Rajan Wadhera, chief executive, technology and product development. "We are perfecting the hybrid technology to deploy it in various platforms and vehicles across the Mahindra range".

Hybrids generally pair electric motors and regular engines and use batteries to store energy from motion and braking. They also use aerodynamic design to reduce drag and new materials to lower weight. Mahindra's micro-hybrids reduce fuel wastage by shutting off the engine when it's not needed.

Hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, with sales of more than three million worldwide, comes with automatic transmission. Other hybrids and hybrid variants include the Honda Jazz, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Volt, which all are automatics.

Elon Musk's Tesla makes all-electric cars that have gained a significant market share in the US in the last few years, thanks to their sleek design and performance, although the company recently had to defend itself over some vehicles catching fire. Automatic cars, although they have gained ground of late in India, still aren't as popular in the country as they cost more and are less fuel-efficient. That's why Mahindra is going themanual-transmission route, says the company.

"We are keen to develop a manual transmission mode compatible with the hybrid technology," Wadhera said. “It is expected to be more efficient and also more adaptable to the range of vehicles sold across various markets."

Other technology partners include Germany's largest auto component maker ZF and tyre-maker Continental. The full scale hybrids are likely to be available as the top-end variants of sports utility vehicles such as the XUV500 and Scorpio. Both these models have micro-hybrid variants that enhance mileage up to 5 per cent by switching off the engine when not required.

Various automakers in India have been trying to take fuel efficiency to the next level by developing different technologies to partially offset the spiralling cost of fuel. Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Honda and Toyota Kirloskar are working on micro-hybrids, electric assists and start-stop technologies to decrease fuel consumption and increase the efficiency of petrol and diesel engines.

Maruti has introduced start-stop technology, which increases fuel efficiency by 5-7 per cent in some of the models that it exports. The company plans to offer this option in top-end variants in the local market as well.

Mahindra officials expect that the initial success of its hybrid vehicles will establish new yardsticks for fuel efficiency in the Indian market.

"A hybrid electric vehicle combines conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system leading to improved fuel economy and efficiency," said a person close to the development. "Mahindra's commitment to bring about a cleaner and greener future is exemplified through the partnerships entered with leading global technology conglomerates and pioneering consultants."

Toyota makes the Prius available as an import in India. The Z5 costs Rs. 29.3 lakh and the Z6 Rs. 31.5 lakh (ex-showroom in Delhi). Mahindra has been frustrated at the slack response to the E2O with sales nowhere near projections. Only a few hundred cars have been sold so far since its launch in March this year. The E20 starts at Rs. 6.3 lakh after benefits and tax rebates. Mahindra's XUV500 micro-hybrid variant starts at Rs. 11 lakh and that of the Scorpio at Rs. 8.1 lakh.

Meanwhile, the Indian government is working on proposals to convert existing cars into hybrids that will improve fuel efficiency by 20-25 per cent. This will involve more than 100 million cars on Indian roads being turned into hybrids by deploying a parallel system just as CNG kits are retrofitted in petrol cars and SUVs in India.