Big day for the Indian automobile industry as the German auto giant Volkswagen and India’s Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) plan to explore possibilities to share their platform for the electric vehicles. The news certainly brings more strength to push India’s electrification goals. According to reports, Indian SUV major Mahindra intends to equip its Born Electric Platform with MEB electric components from Volkswagen.
Both the manufacturers have recently shaped their strategies and products to establish their relevance in the Indian market. And indeed, they made a significant mark with their products recently. Mahindra showcased its capabilities with the XUV700 and Thar, which eventually brought laurels to the brand. On the other hand, Volkswagen also exhibited confidence by investing heavily in the dedicated MQB A0 IN platform. The partnering agreement signed between the brands in Chennai on 18th May is a welcoming move to develop 100 % zero-emissions vehicles. Well, according to reports, the binding supply agreement will be negotiated in a continued constructive and legally compliant way to conclude by the end of 2022.
“Mahindra is a pioneer in the electric mobility space in India and a great partner for our MEB Electric Platform. Together with Mahindra, we want to contribute significantly to the electrification of India, a huge automotive market with enormous growth potential and high relevance for climate protection. It’s another proof point that the MEB is both technological state of the art and highly competitive in terms of cost,” says Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board of Management member for Technology and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.
Commenting on the partnership, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., stated: “We are very pleased to have Volkswagen, a significant global investor in the electric mobility space, as a strategic partner in achieving our ambitious Born Electric Vison.
The potential of the Indian market is immense, and both brands want to grab the maximum pie of electric vehicle market share in India, which is currently being dominated by Tata Motors. Moreover, the commitment to register zero-emission passenger cars in India gives a significant push to electric vehicles by 2030. And hence, such strategic partnerships will strengthen the supply chain and will ease out roadblocks for R&D, which will eventually lead to faster adoption of EVs.
