From Aptiv to Yazaki and everything in between, Mahindra's latest duo of electric-origin SUVs is an ensemble of top suppliers coming together with their most-advanced solutions.
16 Jan 2025 | 41878 Views | By Mayank Dhingra
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which has recently launched its latest electric-origin EVs that have been developed ground-up on its EV-specific INGLO platform, is eyeing big wins in the Indian electric passenger vehicle (e-PV) market with its two offerings that promise a technological extravaganza with their on-board kit and features.
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Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), which has recently launched its latest electric-origin EVs that have been developed ground-up on its EV-specific INGLO platform, is eyeing big wins in the Indian electric passenger vehicle (e-PV) market with its two offerings that promise a technological extravaganza with their on-board kit and features.
The Mahindra XEV 9e and BE 6 are being positioned as premium EVs, which, with their advanced equipment, such as the high-performance drivetrains, in-house-assembled LFP battery packs, as well as top-notch infotainment systems, aim to woo buyers and familiarise them with a true-blue modern-EV experience.
A recent visit to the company’s Chakan facility where it manufactures these two electric SUVs gave Autocar Professional an insight into just what goes behind the two tech-laden models. Here is a list of the key technology providers that have worked in tandem with M&M to enable the homegrown automaker realise its dream of introducing revolutionary products aiming to disrupt the EV market. The suppliers are listed below in an alphabetical order:
APTIV – Infotainment screen supplier. The Irish company, which has a manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is supplying the locally-manufactured 12.3-inch screens on the XEV 9e and BE 6. The displays use optical-bonding technology that allows a higher contrast ratio by controlling the sun’s reflection on the screen, and thus, offering better legibility even in bright daylight conditions.
ASAHI INDIA GLASS (AIS) – Supplier of side and rear windscreens as well as the sunroof glass on the XEV 9e and BE 6. While the rear windscreen is a typical laminated glass, both models deploy acoustic and solar side-window glasses, which are also of the laminated variety and are thicker than conventional tempered glass. The side glasses offer UV-ray protection with a 70% visual-light transmission (VLT) rating.
BOSCH – Supplier of the localised Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) and the integrated On-board charger DC-DC converter (OcDC) module which is being imported from Hungary. The on-board charger converts AC current to DC to charge the primary LFP battery, and leverages Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices that offer higher power handling and switching frequency, thereby minimising power loss during conversion.
The DC-DC converter, on the other hand, charges the 12V auxiliary battery. This converter is capable of handling loads up to 2.4kW and has built-in safety parameters with respect to cybersecurity, high voltage, and current protection.
BYD – The Chinese EV technology major is the supplier of its proprietary lithium-iron phosphate (LPF) ‘Blade Cells’ that are arranged in a cell-to-module format. 16 blade cells form one lean module, which in turn, are packaged in a module-to-pack format in the 59kWh and 79kWh battery packs offered on the two models. The lean modules are arranged in an aluminium casing that offers rigidity while being lightweight.
CONTINENTAL – The German Tier-1 major supplies the airbag control modules, as well as ADAS sensors on the XEV 9e and BE 6.
GOODYEAR – Supplies the ultra-low-rolling resistance, and acoustic tyres, christened ‘Electric Drive.’ The 245/55/R19 and 245/50/R20 tyre options on the XEV 9e and BE 6 get high-silica content that ensures reduced drag and a rolling resistance of 5.5kg/Ton, while also sporting a layer of low-density foam on the inner circumference of the tyre to reduce the tyre noise by up to 3-4db.
HL MANDO – Steering and braking system – The XEV 9e and BE 6 deploy electronically-actuated brakes that use a unified system with an integrated master cylinder and ESP module. The assembly is being supplied by Korean Tier-1 major – HL Mando – which operates in India out of a JV with the Anand Group.
The XEV 9e also uniquely sports a dual-pinion steering rack with electronic motor assist, along with variable gear ratio for the steering rack. The Variable Gear Ratio (VGR) steering rack which has a narrow pitch at the centre and wider pitch towards its outer edges, enables a low C-factor at the on-centre position, thus, offering high-speed stability.
On the other hand, a high C-factor at steering off-centre position enables quick and effortless response of the steering wheel while making sharp U-turns, and executing parking manoeuvres in tight spots.
HARMAN KARDON – Enables the 1400W audio setup in the two cars. The Pune-based digital cockpit and automotive division of the global audio giant Harman International has supplied the hardware in terms of the 15 speakers, one 11-litre under-seat ported sub-woofer and one 15-channel amplifier on the XEV 9e and BE 6. The company has also tuned the sound output by leveraging time alignment, and using sophisticated sound technologies such as Quantum Logic.
The two cars also get a pre-set Dolby Atmos library stored in the high-performance computer in the infotainment system as well as a dedicated signal-flow path in the amplifier for a seamless transition between Stereo sound and 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround-sound experience.
LEAR CORPORATION – The seating systems major is the supplier of the seats on the XEV 9e, which are manufactured at Lear Automotive India Chakan plant near the M&M facility. The seat gets several features such as seat ventilation for the front seats, electronic seat travel and back-rest angle adjustment, as well as memory function for the seat. The seat upholstery gets a mixture of different breathable materials to maximise comfort and aesthetics.
The front seatbacks also house USB charging ports for the rear occupants. The blower motor for seat ventilation as well as all the other electronic modules (recliner and USB), many of which are being imported as child parts, are housed inside the front seat structures.
LUMAX INDUSTRIES & LUMAX AUTO TECHNOLOGIES – Suppliers of the integrated front LED headlamp assembly on the Mahindra BE 6. The lamps uniquely feature collimators with 6 LEDs for low beam with up to 60-metre light travel, and 4 LEDs for the high-beam setup that sends lights up to 150 metre ahead of the vehicle.
The headlight setup also gets a booster function that activates a focused beam reaching up to 240 metres after the vehicle attaining the speed of 80kph. Lumax Auto Technologies, on the other hand, supplies the injection-moulded plastic parts on the instrument panel as well as door pads on both models.
MAHLE – Supplier of the thermal management and HVAC system, which gets a high-voltage e-compressor and water pump. The thermal management system gets a battery chiller to cool the primary LFP battery pack, as well as an active grill shutter assembly to close the front grill at higher speeds to aid aerodynamics.
Uniquely, the HVAC system also features a PM2.5 sensor, and VR-LED for eliminating microbes in the air. Mahindra has relocated the blower motor from being traditionally placed inside the cabin in ICE vehicles, to the front compartment. This, coupled with the BLDC-type blower motor makes the HVAC system silent in operation.
MARELLI – Supplier of XEV 9e headlamp assembly as well as the ambient lamps inside the cabins of the two cars. The XEV 9e headlights differentiate from that of the BE 6 by virtue of its homogenous aesthetics that is embellished by three vertically-stacked, cube-shaped light reflectors.
Despite bearing exact similarities in terms of their shape, each cube performs its individual function of acting as either a cornering lamp or fog lights. This is achieved by changes to the spectral, spherical, and prismatic properties of the cubes to extract the desired beam performance.
MSKH SEATING SYSTEMS – The Pune-based Tier 1 supplier, which provides seats to Mahindra & Mahindra for a number of SUVs including the recently launched Thar Roxx, Thar three-door, 3XO, XUV300 and the XUV400, has designed and supplied the seats for the new BE 6 e-SUV.
QUALCOMM – The chip major supplies its Snapdragon 8295 automotive chipset from the Snapdragon Digital Chassis suite to power the infotainment and connectivity on the two cars. The Snapdragon 8295 chipset features 24GB RAM and 128GB storage, as well as an ultra-fast sixth-generation Adreno GPU. Connectivity features on this chipset include Wi-Fi 6.0, Bluetooth 5.2, and Quectel 5G, thus, enabling real-time OTA updates. On the other hand, with over 51 trillion operations per second (TOPS), the advanced neural engine drives the ADAS suite on the two Mahindra e-SUVs.
SAINT GOBAIN – Supplier of the front laminated windshield which gets a wedged design to eliminate the difference in light reflections off the two layers of the glass. When the light emanating from the head-up display (HUD) projector strikes the inner and outer layer of the windshield, it creates two different images in front of the driver’s eye. However, a wedged windshield design ensures that the HUD projection coincides at a single point in front of the driver’s eye to offer a sharp projection of the HUD contents.
TENNECO – Suppliers of the solenoid-controlled semi-active shock absorbers that offer variable damping based on road conditions.
UNO MINDA – Supplier of rear tail lamps on the BE 6 and XEV 9e. The rear lamp assembly on the BE 6 particularly gets 204 LEDs which work in synchronisation with the vehicle’s infotainment system to offer customised lighting as per the rhythm of the music being played.
VALEO – The French component major is the supplier of the electric powertrain on the two cars. The company supplies the integrated 3-in-1 module that comprises the inverter, transmission, and the electric motor. Mahindra’s INGLO platform employs a rear-wheel drive setup with a live rear axle. The e-motor has spinning capacity of 16,000rpm.
WEBASTO – Supplies the fixed glass roof assembly on the two cars. The laminated sunroof glass sandwiches a poly-vinyl butyral (PVB) sheet between two glasses and uniquely deploys LEDs to enable interactive ambient lighting on the roof glass.
YAZAKI – Supplier of the Artificial Reality-based head-up display (HUD) unit which offers vivid graphics in the line-of-sight of the driver. The AR-HUD setup ensures sharp imagery of vital vehicle information such as speed and navigation prompts, to the driver. Yazaki will also supply the high-voltage junction box (J/B) and Bus Bar modules on the two EVs.