The Hindu Business Line : Mahindra to extend hybrid technology for all products

Mr Murli Deora, Petroleum Minister, with Mr Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Mr Keshub Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, at the launch of ‘Micro Hybrid’ in Bolero and Scorpio SUV, in the Capital on Tuesday.

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Oct. 21 As sports utility vehicles draw flak as being gas guzzlers, Mahindra & Mahindra plans to beat the notion with its range of mild hybrid vehicles. The company, which on Tuesday launched a mild hybrid model of its SUVs Bolero and Scorpio, said that it would extend the technology to its entire range of products in a year’s time.

“With a 5 per cent saving on fuel on our mild hybrid vehicles, we can give competition to compact cars in the B plus segment in terms of fuel economy,” said Dr Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Mr Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief of Operations – Automotive Sector, said compared with a compact car in the B plus segment that offers a mileage of 9-10 km a litre, a Scorpio offers 11-12 km mileage. Hence, the approximate saving of 5 per cent would make the fuel consumption pattern of SUVs at par with premium compact cars.

Fuel efficient

Unlike a completely built hybrid vehicle that uses a battery and a petrol engine to reduce fuel consumption, a mild hybrid vehicle does not need a battery. It works with an electric control unit which stops the engine automatically when the car stops at the signal or is idling.

The engine starts when the driver presses the clutch pedal. This reduces fuel consumption while travelling within the city.

Expensive technology

“Globally, the technology is expensive. But we are bringing it at a much lower cost,” said Dr Goenka.

Mahindra is launching its mild hybrid at a price of approximately Rs 4,000 higher than its existing range of models. Currently, the company launched it on a Bolero SLX variant compliant to BS3 standards and a Scorpio M2DI model.

The company said it had enough capacity to produce its light commercial vehicles and SUVs on hybrid platform.

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