It appears that Mahindra is subjecting its electric SUVs to some pretty demanding conditions. Two heavily camouflaged Mahindra test vehicles were recently spotted testing on high altitudes and cold conditions in the Spiti Valley. This remote and challenging landscape provides the perfect opportunity for Mahindra to assess the performance, battery health and general robustness of its upcoming electric SUVs.
The two test vehicles appear to be based on the Mahindra BE 6 and XEV 9e. Their heavy camouflage makes it somewhat difficult to determine exactly what vehicles they are, but their general design and proportions suggest that Mahindra is looking to develop more rugged and adventure-friendly versions of its current crop of electric SUVs.
One of the vehicles could potentially be the BE Rall-E, a more rugged interpretation of the BE 6 concept. The Rall-E concept was developed with the intention of creating a more off-road and rugged electric SUV. Testing this concept in a challenging location such as Spiti Valley would make sense, as it could help Mahindra understand how this vehicle would perform outside of standard urban and highway conditions.
The second test vehicle is suspected to be an XEV 9e-based vehicle. Mahindra could be assessing potential changes to the vehicle’s hardware, suspension system, battery management or any other component in order to ensure that it can perform consistently well under extreme conditions. High altitude testing is particularly useful for electric vehicles as the reduced temperatures and air density can have a significant impact on the vehicle’s battery, thermal management and overall range.
The BE 6 and XEV 9e already play an important role in Mahindra’s current electrical SUV strategy and it has been working to diversify its EV portfolio around a dedicated electric vehicle architecture. The introduction of these test vehicles suggest that Mahindra is looking to consider additional versions rather than just the current configurations.
At this stage, the exact identity of both test vehicles remains unconfirmed and the assumption that one could be the BE Rall-E and the other an XEV 9e-based vehicle is based on their general design and sightings, rather than an official confirmation from Mahindra.
Testing in Spiti Valley also suggests that Mahindra is considering real world conditions for the vehicles in which electric SUVs can find themselves in India’s mountainous region. For customers that frequently travel through high altitude areas, the performance of their vehicle under cold conditions, battery performance and predicted range can be just as important as its raw power output.
More information is likely to emerge as Mahindra continues to test these heavily camouflaged electric SUVs. If these vehicles eventually arrive at production, they will diversify Mahindra’s EV portfolio and give the BE 6 and XEV 9e families a greater presence beyond the traditional urban use scenario.