Automobile majors Volkswagen and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) have announced a partnership to explore the use of German company's MEB (modular electric drive matrix) components for Mahindra’s new 'Born Electric Platform'.
Mahindra is scouting for electric motors, battery system components and battery cells for its putative EVs. And the MEB electric platform and its components allow car manufacturers to build their portfolio of electrified vehicles, quickly and cost-effectively.
The two companies have now entered into a 'Partnering Agreement', which will evaluate the scope of their collaboration. The two then intend to get into a 'binding supply agreement' by the end of this year.
Mahindra's Born Electric Platform to be unveiled in UK soon
Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board of Management member for Technology and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components said: "Mahindra is a pioneer in the electric mobility space in India and a great partner for our MEB Electric Platform."
He said the MEB is progressively developing into the leading open platform for e-mobility, generating significant volume and economies of scale. That’s crucial for every company in the EV world.
Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra said: "We are very pleased to have Volkswagen, a significant global investor in the electric mobility space, as a strategic partner in achieving our ambitious Born Electric Vison."
Mahindra is hoping that Volkswagen's extensive technology, innovation, and vertical integration in supply chains, will provide a framework to develop its next gen 'Born Electric Platform', which will be revealed soon in Oxfordshire UK. Mahindra's teams across India, UK and Detroit are working on the platform that will handle its entire EV portfolio. The first of Mahindra’s Born EVs will likely hit the markets in 2025.
Volkswagen’s MEB Electric Platform, on the other hand, is used by the Group brands Volkswagen, Audi, SKODA and SEAT/CUPRA as well as external partners like Ford (in all, a total of ten electric models from five brands). Used to build approximately 300,000 units in 2021, it is one of the leading electric platforms worldwide. The MEB covers a wide range of segments and vehicle types, from compact vehicles up to SUVs and vans. The most recent model based on the MEB is the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which was unveiled recently.
