Mahindra evolving a new hybrid vehicle; launch in three years

Mahindra Hybrid car
Utility motor vehicle and tractor marketplace leader Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) is raising a full hybrid vehicle for the Indian market that has seen petrol and diesel prices rush in recent years.

Pawan Goenka, president of the farm equipment and automotive sectors at the automobile maker, said the hybrid vehicle will be set for a profitable launch in three years.

Hybrid vehicles naturally join conservative interior burning engines with one or more electric motors, which are less polluting, but these cars are significantly more luxurious than traditional ones and thus provide to a niche client base.

The local arm of Honda Motor Co. Ltd was the first company in India to launch a hybrid vehicle. However, it discontinued the car within a year in April 2009 because of an indifferent reply. Honda sold nearly 300 units of the hybrid vehicle model, a company representative said.

Require for electric and hybrid vehicles in India is probable to enlarge 50-fold by 2020, Mint reported in December.

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor at Autocar India, said that while it may be possible for companies like Mahindra and Tata Motors to expand hybrid vehicles, it will get them a while to reach the level of finesse that foreign car makers like Toyota and Honda possess.