India's Mahindra on Monday signed a deal with Volkswagen Group to use components from the automaker's MEB platform to design mainstream electric vehicles. Mahindra plans to use the components in a new platform dubbed Inglo, which will eventually underpin at least five electric SUVs to be sold under the Mahindra brand.
The specific components mentioned were the drivetrain and battery, including VW Group's unified battery cell design. Volumes could reach as high as one million units over the life of the deal.
The design of Mahindra's electric SUVs were shown on Tuesday at the opening of a design studio in Banbury, U.K. The studio will be responsible for the design of EVs and advanced concepts for Mahindra.
Mahindra and VW Group also said they plan to explore further opportunities for collaboration, potentially setting the stage for a broader alliance aimed at accelerating electrification in the growing Indian market. Possibilities include battery production and charging infrastructure in India.
Mahindra plans 5 electric SUVs integrating Volkswagen Group technology
Mahindra previously tried a similar strategy with Ford, though the plan was abandoned last year. Likewise, VW Group previously looked to work with Tata on joint projects in India but the two decided to go their separate ways in 2017.
Annual new vehicle sales in India currently hover around 3 million units, making it one of the top five markets in the world. Crucially, there's still plenty of room to grow; India and China are the only two major markets to see a sales increase in the first half of 2022.
Mahindra isn't the only major automaker that has tapped VW Group for its EV platforms. Ford plans to use the MEB platform for compact vehicles to be sold in Europe, with the first to be a crossover due in 2024.
“The MEB electric platform and its components are key to affordable sustainable mobility around the globe,” Thomas Schmall, VW Group's head of technology and components, said in a statement. “The partnership not only demonstrates that our platform business is highly competitive, but also that the MEB is well on track to become one of the leading open platforms for e-mobility.”
