Mahindra Thar.e concept is radical EV 4x4 tipped for UK launch

Indian auto giant Mahindra has unwrapped the radical Thar.e concept as a vision of a rugged electric 4x4 that could go on sale in the UK by the end of the decade.

The Mumbai-based firm – one of India's largest automotive companies – showed the Thar.e in Cape Town this week as part of a wide-reaching preview of its electric vehicle strategy, which included confirmation that it is eyeing an expansion into the mainland European and UK markets.

Mahindra already has a presence in the UK, through its Oxfordshire-based Advanced Design centre and Formula E team. Unwrapping five new UK-designed electric SUVs at the Banbury site last year, Mahindra bosses told Autocar that they were considering a UK market launch towards the end of the decade, if the market conditions were right.

Now, the brand has doubled down on its global expansion ambitions. As reported by Autocar sibling site Autocar India, Mahindra is actively exploring the possibility of launching its new 'Born Electric' SUV line-up in the UK and mainland Europe in the coming years.

The Born Electric range comprises a trio of strikingly styled electric crossovers designed in Banbury and based on a new architecture derived from the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform - the fruition of a partnership signed in Banbury last year.

The BE.05, BE.07 and BE.09 (numbered according to size) will be the first Mahindra cars to ride on this new platform, dubbed Inglo. Claimed to be one of the world's lightest EV skateboards, it houses cell-to-pack batteries ranging in capacity from 60kWh to 80kWh and allows for charging at up to 175kW.

The first cars on Inglo will use batteries sourced from Chinese manufacturer BYD, with Volkswagen eventually supplying cells to Mahindra. Volkswagen will supply EV motors for all the Born Electric cars (including any production-spec Thar.e), which will come with either a 282bhp rear-driven powertrain or with a secondary 106bhp unit on the front axle for four-wheel drive.

The first of these new electric cars will be the BE.05, launching in October 2025, followed by the BE.07 in April the following year. Launch dates for the BE.09 and Thar.e were not given.