Mahindra Wants to Hybridize India, Eyes Stop-Start 'Micro-Hybrid' as 1st Step
By John O'Dell February 17, 2009Automaker Sees U.S. Market As Ready For Its 30 MPG Diesel Pickups and SUVs
Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian manufacturer specializing in pick-ups and SUVs, believes that what works with value-conscious Indian car buyers will translate to American consumers weary of gas guzzlers but not quite ready to kick their SUV habits.
The company plans to enter the U.S. later this year with two and four-door versions of its pickup (below) followed by an as-yet-unnamed version of its Scorpio SUV (right).
A key part of the trucks' allure will be high fuel-efficiency figures. Power will come from a 2.2-liter common rail four-cylinder diesel engine, fitted to a six-speed automatic transmission. Mahindra representatives say the engine and transmission combination will deliver a fuel economy average of at least 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
The company also is working on hybrid powertrains, although the immediate target for them is the Indian market, said Dr. Arun Jaura, Mahindra's group chief technology officer.
"As a diesel-centric company, it was natural for us to get into diesel hybrids," Jaura said. "But at the end of the day, technology itself will not have a lot of traction. Technology that is affordable and seamless is what is needed." He said he believes developing a hybrid culture in India remains top priority.
There are no plans yet to bring a hybrid Mahindra to the U.S., he told Green Car Advisor
, reversing previous statements by the company that a diesel-electric hybrid
version of its pickup could be headed here as early as next year.
Mahindra already is selling a micro-hybrid with stop-start technology in India.
Developed in cooperation with Bosch, Mahindra's micro-hybrid turns the engine off whenever the vehicle is idling or in neutral. The engine restarts once the clutch is depressed.
The micro-hybrid is only offered on select models of the company's aging Bolero SUV, though Jaura confirmed that it will soon be applied to other models including the Scorpio SUV.
Mahindra claims the micro-hybrid system offers a 5-10 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the standard model diesel. That would put the Indian-built trucks on par with eco-minded SUVs like Ford's Escape Hybrid, which averages 34 mpg in city and highway driving.
"When we look at the long-term, we see that for us to get there, [hybrid technology] is one of the enablers," said Dr. Jaura, in terms of cleaner emissions at home and projecting a positive image for the company's vehicle lineup in new markets.
Developing a vendor base of hybrid tech within India will prove vital to bringing down costs and widening acceptance of fuel-saving systems, both at home and abroad, he said. "We are learning to walk. At some point, we are going to learn to run."
Nick Kurczewski
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