Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its plans to launch a fully-electric version of the Thar lifestyle SUV. The company has unveiled a teaser video for the upcoming Thar electric (stylized as THAR.e), which will debut on August 15, 2023, in Cape Town, South Africa.
The design of the teaser suggests a futuristic look, indicating that it may be in concept form. While a market launch is still uncertain, it will be interesting to see if Mahindra can maintain the off-road capabilities of the regular Thar in the electric version. The Thar’s retro appeal is one of the main reasons for its popularity, and it will be fascinating to see if the electric version retains this as well.
Currently, the only fully-electric Mahindra SUV available in India is the XUV400. However, the company is working on several new electric vehicles, such as the BE.05 and BE.07. The Thar electric is expected to be built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform and may feature dual electric motors for an all-wheel drive setup.
The Mahindra Thar is currently offered with a 2.2-liter mHawk diesel engine producing 128 hp, a 2.0-liter mStallion turbo petrol engine generating 150 hp, and a smaller 1.5-liter diesel engine with 117 hp for the rear-wheel drive variant. The starting price for the Thar in India is Rs 10.54 lakh (ex-showroom).
