The born ev concept will have a squarish design language.
Mahindra has teased the upcoming Thar EV, ahead of its global debut on August 15 in South Africa. The upcoming electric offroader will be called Thar.e, as per the teaser shared by Mahindra on social media.
- Mahindra Thar.e will debut in South Africa
- It is likely to have a quad-motor set-up
Mahindra Thar.e: what do the teasers show?
While the teasers don’t show much of the upcoming Thar.e, it does show that the electric 4×4 concept will have a squareish design language. The Thar.e will have square headlights and tail-lights and ‘Thar.e’ badging near them.
Mahindra Thar.e: what we know so far
Keeping true to Thar’s off-road character, the Thar.e will have a 4×4 set-up. While most 4×4 EVs come with a dual-motor set-up, the Thar.e is expected to have a quad-motor set-up. There are talks that the upcoming electric Thar concept will have a crab walk feature where all four wheels can turn to a near-45-deg angle, allowing the SUV to roll sideways or make a 360-degree turn on the spot.
Not much is known about the Thar.e concept as of now. It could be built on the same body-on-frame or ladder-frame chassis as its ICE sibling, or could even be developed on the new, EV-dedicated platforms Mahindra is currently developing.
As of now, Mahindra hasn’t developed a hardcore off-roader based on a monocoque chassis, but it could be an option to lower the weight in the Thar.e, a crucial aspect for range in an EV. Ladder-frame SUVs are heavier than monocoque SUVs and packaging the motors and the battery will also pose as an issue due to the long and cross members. However, EVs like the Ford F-150 Lightning are built on ladder-on-frame chassis as it allows for increased load and towing capacity.
Mahindra has also stated that it is looking into ladder-frame EVs, as it could benefit with them in the commercial vehicles segment. If Thar.e concept is based on ladder-frame chassis, it could offer a glimpse the direction the brand is headed with its ladder-frame EVs.
Mahindra Thar.e price and launch date
Since the Thar.e is currently a concept, Mahindra will need to work on the production feasibility before working out the price and launch. More information about the Thar.e will emerge at its global debut on August 15 in South Africa.
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