Mahindra eVerito Launched: India’s First All-Electric Sedan
Mahindra has finally launched the pure-electric version of its Verito sedan called as “eVerito“, years after its revelation back at the Auto Expo in 2012. The car will go on sale in major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Nagpur with immediate effect, with prices starting from INR 9.50 lakhs onwards for the D2 base variant (ex showroom Delhi), after state subsidy and FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) incentive. It is available in three trim levels: D2, D4 and D6.
This is definitely huge, as the e-Verito is Mahindra’s second full electric vehicle on production, the first being the Mahindra e2o. In fact, these two cars are the only full-electric zero-emission cars that are available in the Indian market. The home-grown auto major has seriously taken up the eVerito project and the car has finally made it to commercial production. This is so ironic because Mahindra is one of the most-hit companies due to NGT’s selective diesel bans, and yet, it is the only company that is offering the nation’s only pure-electric cars!
Also Read: Mahindra e2o: Unfolding the futurity
Starting with the technicals, the eVerito is powered by 72 V 3-phase AC induction motor that delivers a peak power of 30.5 kW (41 hp) at 3,500 rpm and max torque of 91 Nm at 3,000 rpm. It is coupled with a 72 -volt lithium-ion battery pack that takes about 8 hours to charge from nil in a regular domestic power outlet. Mahindra says that the total driving range of the car on full charge is 110 kms, with a maximum possible top speed of 86 kmph. The driving range is partly dependent on frugal driving style and regenerative braking, first time for a car of this kind in India.
The top-trim D6 variant comes with a fast-charging feature that allows the the batteries to replenish from 0-80% in just 1 hour 45 minutes, but only at Mahindra Electric Fast Charging stations. Other features of the electric car includes clutch-less driving, Hill-hold control, and ‘Boost’ driving mode for extra power. But the defining features are its ‘connected’ technologies like the ‘Revive‘ that enables an 8 km extra driving in case of dried battery charge. Next is the ‘Telematics‘ feature that keeps track of more than 190 performance parameters, therefore enabling remote monitoring and diagnostics. It periodically sends statistics on charging Patterns, distance Travelled, Co2 saved, ECO points earned, fuel saved, etc. to the respective customers. There is also an Energy Management System that updates the driver on charging status, distance-to-empty, and battery voltage on real-time basis.
Also Read: Mahindra e2o Sports: The Track-ready Electric Car
Design wise, the eVerito is identical to the regular Verito in all aspects, except for the few body animations. But on the inside, the car gets slightly revised interiors to make some differentiation. Basically, the eVerito sits on an age-old architecture that dates back to the first-generation Renault Logan and the company has tried its best to make it compatible to electric driving. Yet, the vestiges of the old car like the Hydraulic power-steering are still present. Further, the car’s chassis and body is one of the strongest and heaviest in its segment and this increases the curb weight, impacts the electric performance and driving range negatively.
Although the eVerito is relatively costly and dull in performance comparing to its diesel/ petrol counterparts, the company says that the overall running cost is just Rs. 1.15 per km, making it profitable for the users in the long-run. Moreover, the battery pack is also maintenance free. In spite of certain incentives, the market situation for electric cars is unfavourable due to their higher costs and limited performance. This, in-turn, partly demotivate the car makers to invest on electric cars for the domestic market.
Also Read: Tesla Model 3: Affordable Electric Sedan Unveiled; India Launch Announced
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