India's Mahindra Says It Will Continue Spending To Develop EVs and Hybrids
By John O'Dell January 21, 2009
Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra says it won't stop investing just because the auto market is in a slump, and is expecting to bring out a line of electric and hybrid vehicles for the Indian market within a few years.
----------
Hybrid and electric versions of Mahindra's small pickup and SUV could be on the horizon.
----------
The company is spending upward of 1 billion rupees ($20.3 million) a year on R&D, Mahindra's head of design told reporters in a recent press conference.
The company sees production of lower-emission, fuel-efficient cars and trucks as a necessity, not a luxury, design chief B. Bhaumik said.
"We have to develop technologies for hybrid and electric vehicles" and will launch the first ones "in a couple of years," he said.
Analysts at Global Insight economic forecasting say that Indian consumers have been quick to endorse hybrid technology with their pocketbooks as Toyota introduced its Prius there and Honda its Civic Hybrid.
One reason is fuel economy. The other is that India introduces tough new emissions standards in April 2010 and people are buying clean and green in anticipation.
Whatever the reasons, we wish Mahindra well.
Its product development for India could someday spill over to these shores. The company already has said it will bring a compact pickup with a diesel-electric hybrid system to the U.S. in 2010, and our position is that it is always better for the market, and for competition, to have more of such vehicles.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor
LEAVE A COMMENT