Mahindra Electric’s bullish attitude towards addressing urban mobility needs of the future might seem questionable to many here in India, and I am certain that there is a large enough population out there that has had discussions that highlighted how impractical Electric Vehicles are and that there is no market for such products here. The energy crisis, the lack of charging points, the impracticality of ownership for those living in high rise buildings all comes to the fore at the mere mention of electric vehicles, however what they do forget is the reality that they live in. The need to change is clearly apparent as well as the fact that electric vehicles do hold the key for a cleaner, more efficient future. While the rest of the world is jumping on this bandwagon, why should India be left behind? Keeping all that in mind, the ambitions of Mahindra Electric suddenly make sense and it is honestly good to see that they are proactively designing and developing India-specific solutions.
The e2o Plus looks best from this angle
The company already has three products on offer in the market, namely the e2o, e-Verito and the recently launched e- Supro vans (passenger and cargo). With each product Mahindra Electric has aimed at addressing a very real need and while the numbers of EVs sold doesn’t even account for one per cent of the total car market in India, the potential to grow exists and it is about coming up with a product that delivers to a market segment that would appreciate such a vehicle, rather than trying to pioneer a whole new segment. It is that vein of thought that has led to the Mahindra Electric e2o Plus. Designed and developed in-house, the e2o Plus can simply be labelled as the four-door version of the e2o, however it proved to be more than that, as I got to learn after getting to spend some time behind the wheel of this new car.
The Mahindra Family look carries over to the e2o Plus
In all honesty, I have never driven an electric car ever before in my life, thus making this moment rather special and unique for me. The closest I’ve come to experiencing EVs in India is the few times that I’ve ridden some e-bikes and the one time that I got to drive an e-rickshaw at the Auto Expo a few years ago. Basically, I had no idea what to expect and as I got to learn more about the e2o Plus through the course of the event held on the outskirts of Bangalore, I was genuinely impressed by this compact EV.
Legroom at the rear is impressive
Conceived as a practical city commuter for four adults, the e2o Plus might boast of an unorthodox design that follows the lines of the e2o (two door) and includes a fair amount of design traits from Mahindra’s MPV/ SUV line-up such as the ‘Mahindra family’ grille, KUV100 inspired headlights and those alloys look like miniatures of the ones fitted on the new Scorpio. The inclusion of the rear door and the extra wheelbase meant that the e2o design had to be extended in some manner to keep with the flow. The end result is a ‘stepped’ look along the shoulder line and surprisingly doesn’t look all that bad. The rear has been nicely moulded and I personally thought the e2o Plus looks the best when viewed from the rear three quarter angle. The design might not appeal to you immediately, but the practical side of it becomes apparent once you get inside.
A simple cabin, however fit and finish is rather decent
The cabin has a simple layout with a no-nonsense air about it. There is ample legroom and headroom for all four passengers on board, however the narrow body doesn’t allow for too much shoulder room. The e2o Plus also gets a little bit of boot space, 135 litres to be exact and before you doubt the practicality of that, remember this is a city commuter and that is just about all the space you require to ferry around office bags or to bring home the groceries. The seats are nice and comfortable and the air-conditioning is rather effective as well. In terms of features on board, the e2o Plus gets an infotainment system that pairs with your smartphone and the e2o App which in turn gives you access to a whole bunch of features including the ability to lock/unlock your vehicle or turn on the air-conditioning and get real-time telematics. Further to that, you can plan your drive so that you can maximize the use of the vehicle. Being connected is part of the package and this does change the way you will think about car ownership.
The spare wheel is kept under the hood in the e2o Plus
The e2o Plus has also been crafted smartly. In order to keep the overall weight down, the car employs a spaceframe construction with plastic moulded panels. Despite that, vehicle rigidity and safety hasn’t been compromised in the process. The battery packs have been fitted right in the centre and sit right under the front seats to maintain the balance as well as to maintain a low centre of gravity. Under the hood you will find the spare wheel, and there are two charging points on either side at the rear – one for the regular charge and the other to access the fast charge port. There is a lot of tech that has gone into making the e2o Plus and Muntaser has elaborated on all of that in this article: The Technology Within
The instrument cluster has a neat no nonsense appeal
The e2o Plus is available in four trim options and is powered by 3 Phase Induction Motors and comes fitted with 210 Ah Lithium Ion batteries. I drove the top of the line P8 variant that delivers 30KW of power at 3500 rpm and 91 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm. It has a range of 140 km per charge and can hit a top speed of 85 km/h. The P8 version is capable of going from 0-60 km/h in just 9.5 seconds and you also get a rather interesting ‘boost’ mode to aid with overtaking manoeuvres. Yeah, it might not be ludicrous mode, but it does provide that sudden rush which I found rather entertaining and couldn’t resist toying with while driving the e2o Plus out on test. As for the three lower trims, the electric motor only generate 19KW of power @ 3500 rpm and make 70 Nm of torque at 1050 rpm. They also have a lower range of 110Km per charge and take about 14 seconds to do the 0-60 km/h dash.
Compact and zippy!
Taking the e2o Plus out for a spin was what I was really looking forward to. The start sequence involves pointing the key fob at the start button and then pressing it to bring the car to life. There isn’t a sound to tell you that it is indeed on, however the instrument cluster has a notification that flashes telling you that you are now good to go. Slotting it into drive mode, I was off to experience an electric car for the first time of my life. My initial reaction was a mixed bag of emotions. I immediately missed the sound of an engine as I only had the whine of the electric motor for company; however the car’s linear power delivery was noteworthy. I could immediately see how the e2o Plus would be a boon to drive around a city thanks to the fact that it pulls away rather nicely from standstill and is undoubtedly quick off the mark. Yeah, it won’t set any land speed records, but you don’t need that in a city. Ride quality is decent and if I had to compare it to a conventional car, I would say that it is along the lines of how an Alto 800 feels. The steering has a nice light feel to it and the car boasts of a 4.35 meter turning radius – which adds to its zippy nature as it allows you to literally turn on a dime. It didn’t take much to get used to the e2o Plus and I really enjoyed driving it around. It is a car that I really wouldn’t mind zipping around town in.
A practical city car – now if we only had enough charging points!
Frankly, the e2o Plus is a car I really wouldn’t mind owning. It addresses the mobility needs of the commuter segment, its fun to drive and the cost per kilometre makes the most frugal conventional hatchback seem like a gas guzzler in comparison. Mahindra Electric does need to focus on smoothing out some of the rough edges in terms of fit and finish, however on the whole there is really nothing to complain about. If you have the ability to set up a charging point at home, the e2o Plus is a car I would strongly recommend as the answer to your urban mobility needs.
To know how the e2o Plus is priced, you can follow this link: Mahindra e2o Plus Price Details