Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its e2o electric car in the UK. The three-door hatchback with four seats is designed specifically for easy urban commuting, with a claimed range of 79 miles/126km.

Only available to purchase online now with deliveries starting in May, the G-Wiz successor (the Reva was earlier sold as the G-Wiz in the UK) will be priced from £12,995/Rs 12.79 lakh (once UK grants have been applied), making it more than double its Indian equivalent which costs around £6,000/Rs 5.90 lakh.

However, the e20 is an upgraded version of the Indian e20 with more safety equipment, a larger battery and a higher quality interior. With two trim levels available, the higher-spec TechX starts at £15,995/Rs 15.74 lakh (with UK grants applied) and includes a touchscreen infotainment centre with reversing camera, telematics, Revive remote emergency recharging, leather seats, alloy wheels and a rapid charging port. This can fast charge the batteries in 1.5 hours.

The price range makes it more expensive than the Renault Twizy, which starts at £6,895 (Rs 6.78 lakh), but cheaper than cars like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, which cost around £18,445 (Rs 18.15 lakh) and £25,790 (Rs 25.38 lakh) respectively.

With a top speed of 63mph (100.8 kph), the 13.9kWh lithium-ion battery has 42bhp and 67lb ft of instantly available torque, and takes nine hours to charge from empty.

Unveiled today at London’s Design Museum by Mahindra Group chairman, Anand Mahindra, the company says that owners doing the UK average of 7,900 miles / 12,640km per year and charging the car at home at night on an Economy 7  tariff, will pay under £10/Rs 984 a month on fuel.

By selling cars online rather than through dealerships, Mahindra says the car “closes the price gap between diesel and electric cars”; test drives can be booked online in London, Birmingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes, with additional test drive cities to be announced later.

The entire sales and aftermarket process is digital, with Mahindra's electric boss Arvind Mathew saying the firm is "trying to create a convenience model". "Our customers want no hassle," he added.

He estimates that 90% of vehicle maintenance – mostly servicing – will be carried out at owners' homes and cost no more than traditional servicing. Mobile vans are already in place around the country to undertake the work.

Mathew expects "some bugs" in the all-digital system in the early days, but once these have been ironed out, the firm will expand beyond London, Birmingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes.

Alongside tech already seen on electric vehicles including the ability to remotely control key functions of the car such as pre-heating/cooling the car, Mahindra offers a remote emergency charging feature on the e2o giving the driver up to 8 miles/13km of range if the battery is depleted. There are also onboard sensors which send car data to Mahindra allowing remote health monitoring and customer alerts.

The touchscreen infotainment system, available on the TechX model, offers satellite navigation with ‘range remaining’ maps featuring charge point locations. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspot connection, USB, SD card, DAB radio and a built-in reversing camera.

The e20 is equipped with dual SRS airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control and a regenerative braking system.

When asked whether the e20 would be a safer proposition than the g-Wiz which was notoriously unsafe, Mathew said: "The G-wiz was a quadracycle; this is a car which can be driven on highways and is a full M1-certified vehicle." However, the car will not be tested by EuroNCAP with Mathew commenting that the system was for high-volume cars.

Although he is not forecasting sales volumes, as his first task is to establish the brand and successful introduce its digital sales model, Mathew said the car, which is built in at the Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles plant in Bangalore, could be produced in the UK if demand exceeds expectations. "If the volume goes through the roof, I'd be happy to assemble the car in the UK," he confirmed.
 

Right car at the right time

Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (Automotive), Mahindra & Mahindra, believes that the e2o is the right car at the right time for the UK market: “There has never been a better time for people to make the change to electric, and with the e2o there has never been an easier or more affordable way to make this transition.

“The e2o is an innovative combination of advancements in automotive, electronics and information technology paired with minimal running costs and zero tailpipe emissions. This makes it the ideal urban runabout or second car for the two-and-a-half-million UK households that can charge the car at home in a driveway or garage.”

Speaking about the e2o’s arrival on British roads, Anand Mahindra, Mahindra chairman, said: “I invite people to come and test drive the Mahindra e2o ‘ElectriCity Car’ and help drive a positive change to the air quality in their cities. Sustainability is at the heart of Mahindra’s business practices and with the introduction of the e2o to the UK market, we are offering a product that perfectly encapsulates our corporate philosophy.”