A Story On The Evolution Of Mahindra Electric Cars

As we enter the era of electric cars, we feel there's a need to shed some light on a company that pioneered the concept in India way before any other manufacturer had even thought about it. Yes, of course, we're talking about the Reva Electric Car Company, which is now Mahindra Electric and produces a range of EVs that Indians can proudly buy. Not just that; Mahindra Electric's expertise has also allowed the Mahindra Racing team to grab headlines on the world stage by participating in the Formula E championship every year since 2014. Let's take a look at this long journey and how it has culminated into what Mahindra Electric is today.

History of Reva

The Reva Electric Car Company was founded as far back as 1994. It happened to be a joint venture between the Maini Group of Bangalore and AEV LLC of USA. Right from the start, the goal of this venture was to develop and release an affordable compact electric car. The first fruit of its labour appeared in 2001 when the two-seater Reva electric car was unveiled. In case you're unaware, this is the car on which the Mahindra e2o is based.

The Reva EV was launched in the UK as the G-Wiz in 2003. It was eventually made available in 24 countries, having sold around 4,500 vehicles in total. That number might not sound big but it must be considered that these cars were being sold at a time when there was significantly less awareness about EVs in the global markets.

Mahindra comes along

Reva was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra in May 2010 as part of the company's larger strategy of focusing on sustained mobility. And it was in 2013 that the Mahindra e2o was birthed. The car was a rebranded Reva NXR, an EV hatchback that was priced at just below Rs 6 lakh. It came with a lithium-ion battery pack that took five hours for a full charge and offered a range of 100kms. This two-door model saw moderate success and was pulled from the market eventually.

The most recent remnant of the Reva legacy was the Mahindra E2o Plus (pictured above), which was discontinued only a short while ago. This advanced EV provided a cost-efficient driving experience, apart from a seating capacity of 5 people. Thanks to an 88Wh battery at its heart, the car could do 140kms on a single charge.

The new era

In 2016, the company was rebranded as Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd, which was meant to focus not only on electric cars, but also powertrains and integrated mobility solutions. And in the same year, the eVerito was launched.

It is the current flagship offering from Mahindra Electric and also India's first electric sedan. It delivers a range of 181kms and offers a Direct Drive transmission, spacious interiors and regenerative braking, aside from other things. Mahindra Electric's portfolio also includes cargo vehicles like the eSupro and Treo.

This wide array of EVs that the company has been dishing out is a testament to the fact that EVs have a long way ahead in India. Today, Mahindra Electric has even partnered with Mahindra Racing to outfit cars for Formula E championship. But taking a good look back at the journey of the company has made us aware that this journey has already been a long one and what exists today wouldn't have been possible without the efforts that were put in decades ago.