Volkswagen To Supply EV Open Platform To Mahindra

JAKARTA - Volkswagen AG and Mahindra & Mahindra on Monday, August 15 expanded their cooperation and signed a worksheet under which the German automaker will supply electrical components to their Indian counterparts.

The agreement includes a component of Volkswagen's open platform for electric vehicles (EV), called MEB, which will be supplied to Mahindra INGLO's new electric platform, the company said in a statement.

“The INGLO platform, which will power all Mahindra EVs, offers options ranging from 60-80 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery capacity and fast charging up to 80% in less than 30 minutes,” said a source at Mahindra, without elaborating on the EVs price range.

Tata Motors, which currently dominates the Indian EV market, says the Nexon EV's 40.5 kWh battery offers a range of 437 kilometers.

The partnership aims for a volume of more than 1 million vehicles by 2030 and includes equipment for five electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) based on INGLO, the company said.

"This partnership not only demonstrates that our platform business is highly competitive, but also that MEB is on track to become one of the leading open platforms for e-mobility," said Volkswagen board member Thomas Schmall.

Schmall declined to give exact figures but said the agreement would translate into significant operating results that he said would be comparable to midsize brands in the Volkswagen group.

Volkswagen and Mahindra said in May they were exploring a partnership in the supply of electrical components, making Mahindra the second major customer for the MEB platform after Ford.

They said at the time that they would finalize the deal by the end of 2022.

Mahindra said it expects electric models to make up between 20% and 30% of total SUV sales by March 2027. The company sells some of India's most popular combustion engine SUVs, including the Scorpio and Thar.