Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd – part of the US $19 billion Mahindra Group – has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Government of Maharashtra, to further its next phase of expansion in electric vehicles (EVs) and achieve its vision of becoming completely electric ready. The move is in line with the Government’s aim of rapid EV adoption for private use as well as public (shared mobility).

 

The MoUs were signed by Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary of Industries on behalf of the Government of Maharashtra, and Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. The deals were inked in the presence of the Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Mr Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, and other dignitaries. 

 

The joint declarations have been signed with the aim of furthering the Government’s vision to make Maharashtra a globally-competitive state for EVs and component manufacture, and to maximise the adoption of EVs across the state.

 

Efforts to become fully EV ready

 

Under the aegis of the first MoU, the company will make efforts to become fully-electric-ready by further investing in its Chakan plant for manufacture of EVs, e-motor, controller, battery pack and other electric vehicle components for multiple mobility applications related to battery pack assembly of EVs. As part of this expansion plan, the company will invest an additional Rs. 500 crore (US$74.5 million).

 

The second MoU underlines the intent to explore a strategic alliance to enable Mahindra to deploy EVs across key cities in Maharashtra. Towards this, both the company and the Government will work closely with various fleet partners, taxi aggregators, and logistics companies, amongst others, to deploy 1,000 electric cars over the next year.

 

Committed to the sustainable mobility cause

 

Speaking on the expansion plans and deployment of EVs, Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said: “We are delighted to announce the next phase of our EV expansion plans at Chakan and would like to thank the Government of Maharashtra for their continuous and unstinted support. At Mahindra, we have pioneered the sustainable mobility cause in India and have remained committed to it for almost a decade. Now, we are investing further in next generation EV technology solutions and are actively engaging with the ecosystem stakeholders, both private and public to drive faster adoption of electric vehicles. The Government of Maharashtra recognises this fact and we are delighted to make the state a key partner in our growth over the coming years.”

 

The first deployment of EVs, as part of the MoU, saw 25 e2oPlus vehicles ported on the Zoomcar platform in Mumbai on Tuesday (5th June), on the occasion of World Environment Day. The range of applications for the deployment of those EVs across the key cities of the state included employee transport between office and home for corporates, taxi hailing, ride sharing and self-drive car rental, amongst others.

 

The company will also liaise with technology partners for motor controller, power electronics, battery pack, drivetrain and other parts and components, which are currently being imported. The company will supply EV battery pack, motors and controllers, power electronics, battery pack, drivetrain, other parts/components of EVs, battery assembly and electric vehicles to MVML and M&M plants, as well as to other Group companies and other customers.

 

Mahindra Group said in a statement that it “has been at the forefront of promoting electrical mobility and this strategic alliance with the state Government will bring in a paradigm shift in passenger commuting and considerably mitigate air pollution.”

 

The Government of Maharashtra has conferred the status of ‘Pioneer Mega Project’ to this proposed expansion.