Mahindra and Mahindra has teased the electric version of the popular Thar SUV. Dubbed as the Thar.e, this will be fully revealed at the Aug 15 event in South Africa.
The teaser reveals a few details about what we can expect. Some of this include the styling updates, light designs and more. The car gets a squircle theme. There are many such elements used all over the Thar.e. The lights also get a pixel structure. The same can be seen in the pickup truck concept as well.
The main highlight however is the Born Electric nomenclature. This means that the Thar.e will be based on the dedicated electric platform. This is a departure from Thar’s ladder frame underpinnings.
That said, it is unclear if Mahindra will use conventional ladder-frame or something else. Afterall, Mahindra is known for its robust commercial vehicles based on ladder frame chassis.
However, using a dedicated EV platform has its benefits as well. It will result in better battery positioning, interior space (flat floor), and lighter overall weight. Hence it remains to be seen what Mahindra shows us.
For an off-roader, the EV powertrain can offer instant torque along with better gradability as compared to conventional ICE powertrain. Further, if there are multiple electric motors, the electric Thar can also have a smaller turning circle, or better off-road ability as well.
With electrification the way forward, Mahindra might be keen to start with a low volume niche product before moving on to other electric segments. Currently, the carmaker already has the XUV400 EV on sale.
The Thar has 68,000 open bookings. The Thar further gets 10,000 new bookings every month. The recently launched Thar RWD has been very successful and has an over 15-month waiting period. This is only increasing day by day. The 4WD in comparison has a 5-month waiting.
Also Read – Mahindra XUV400 electric SUV will get 8 new features