Anand Mahindra is quite active on social media, particularly on X (previously Twitter). We often see him post and share interesting stuff, including but not limited to the prestigious car brand. One of his recent replies on X is now gaining a lot of attention on the platform. In it, he explained why Mahindra did not build hybrids, V6 and V8 engines. The response mentioned the diesel-hybrid concept that the company had developed in 2006. Mahindra, he said, never made V6 and V8 engines, as India did not really need them.
Let’s give you some context first. On October 14, the Mahindra bossman shared a video of 45 India-made electric vehicles being handed over to the Bhutan government by India’s External Affairs Minister. This handover, in fact, took place in July this year. Some of these were Mahindras. Anand Mahindra shared the video mentioning the Bhutan Prime Minister’s official handle, expressing his joy and gratitude for Mahindra EVs being a part of the inducted fleet.
Resharing this post, Nitin Meshram, an X user, wrote: ‘Sadly, Mahindra has been in car making for the last 70 years and is yet to make a V6, V8 engine or PHEV; it has not invented anything that is an industry first.’ A sharp whip at Mahindra!
Anand Mahindra soon came up with a response to this. He cited an online news report by Hindustan Times about a hybrid Scorpio. The bossman said that his company had unveiled India’s first diesel-hybrid passenger vehicle two decades ago, in 2006. It was based on the Scorpio platform. He clarified that the same was not put into series production just because the market wasn’t ready then.
Anand Mahindra then talked about why the company did not make a V6 or V8. He reiterated that building a V6 or V8 was never rocket science. Mahindra did not take that route because it did not believe India needed such big engines.
In his concluding remarks, the Mahindra bossman said that sometimes innovation is about what is about what you choose not to build. He even gave a gentle advice to X user: ‘Look before you leap. Pause before you punch.’
At the 2006 Auto Expo, Mahindra showcased two interesting concepts- one, a hydrogen-powered three-wheeler and a diesel-electric hybrid based on the Scorpio. The Scorpio has been an iconic nameplate for Mahindra. It has stood the test of time and has also acted as the test bed for various vehicle technologies over the years. One such technology was the diesel-hybrid.
Back then, it was the first indigenously developed diesel-electric hybrid. It paired a common-rail diesel engine with an electric trans-axle and a traction batter. Mahindra then claimed that the hybrid technology here was completely transparent and seamless and would return a fuel efficiency of 15-16 km per litre. That would mean a combined range of 600-700 km on a full tank of fuel. Talking to the media, Anand Mahindra then said that the carmaker would have a strong focus on hybrids and fuel cell technologies in the future. The 2006 Auto show had 10 concept Mahindras on display.
In the years that followed, we saw Mahindra adopting a very different powertrain gameplan. Instead of developing the hybrid technology further, it diverted to EVs. This, we now know, was due to the prevailing market realities. As Anand Mahindra himself said, the Indian market wasn’t ready for hybrids. At some point, the market winds favoured EVs. Mahindra quickly adapted to the changing market trends, and invested heavily in electric vehicle technology.
Today, it is a strong player in the electric vehicle space. The Electric Origin SUV lineup now has the BE6, XEV 9e, and XEV 9S. These electric SUVs are in high demand. The carmaker also sells an EV based on the XUV 3XO. Together, these cover a wide price band and drive handsome monthly numbers.
We now know that the manufacturer is working on hybrid technology of different kinds. The XUV 7XO will soon get a strong hybrid version. The XEV 9e and XEV 9S are expected to get series hybrid versions in the future. In short, Mahindra is set to start its hybrid race.