Mahindra’s New MESMA 48 Platform To Spawn New Family Of Light EVs

• Electric vehicles under this platform will offer powertrains ranging from 6kW to 40kW and 40Nm to 120Nm.

• These EVs are also claimed to accelerate quicker than its internal  combustion engine-equipped counterparts with top speeds up to 80kmph.

• Currently, Mahindra is slated to bring the eKUV100 and eXUV300 to India.

Mahindra is no stranger to electric vehicles with it offering the likes of the eVerito sedan as well as the now discontinued e20 Plus hatchback. Now, the camaker has given another push towards the EV market by detailing the MESMA 48 Platform. It’s a small EV platform that can underpin a range of three wheelers, quadricycles like the Atom and even compact cars like the eKUV100. 

EVs under this platform will be offered with battery voltage systems ranging from 44V to 96V (the Tata Nexon EV offers a 320V). The drivetrain figures range from 6kW (8.1PS) to 40kW (54PS) with torque figures ranging from 40Nm to 120Nm. Transmission ratios can also be altered according to the performance requirements. The carmaker claims better acceleration than its internal combustion engined counterparts and top speeds of upto 80kmph.

It is also compatible with both rigid and flexible axle systems, which allows operations for commercial as well as private EVs. These can either be equipped for hauling heavier loads or to serve a family. The MESMA 48 has been optimized as a one-stop solution for key EV components such as the drivetrain, battery pack, electronic control units, power electronics, their associated software and software calibration.

Currently, the Mahindra Electric Scalable Modular Architecture (MESMA) is spread out to the MESMA 48, MESMA 72 and MESMA 350 platforms, with the 350 being utilized for the upcoming SsangYong E100 and Mahindra eXUV300. Not only is this architecture capable of converting existing ICE models to EVs, but also making ground-up electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, Mahindra already has a couple of electric vehicles that made their debut at Auto Expo 2020 slated for a launch in India. First up is the eKUV100 expected to be available for retail to customers later this year. The other EV is the all-electric iteration of the Mahindra eXUV300 slated for a launch in 2021, with prices expected to start from Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom India). The eKUV100 will rival the Tata Tiago EV whereas the eXUV300 will go up against the Tata Nexon EV.