It was a significant day for Mahindra & Mahindra as it inaugurated its first electric technology manufacturing hub in the country in Bengaluru. Along with the plant inauguration, Mahindra Electric also rolled out it’s new electric three wheeler series – the Treo and Treo Yaari. The former is an auto and the latter is a rickshaw. Both the Treo and Treo Yaari were launched at a price of Rs 2.22 lakh and Rs 1.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru), including FAME subsidy.
On the inauguration of the new plant and on the Treo three wheelers Dr Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and chairman Mahindra Electric said, “As the pioneers of electric mobility in India, Mahindra is poised to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution while spearheading the endeavour through its range of clean mobility solutions. The manufacturing hub inaugurated today is the next step by Mahindra in the Electric Technology space to increase local value addition and bring affordable EV technology to redefine mobility in India. We are proud to launch Treo, the first Li-ion 3-wheeler auto developed in India. The Government of Karnataka has been very supportive in this initiative with their progressive policy framework for EVs. It has always supported accelerated adoption of EVs in the state.”
The Government of Karnataka has been influential in the development of this facility in Bengaluru. The facility was inaugurated by Shri KJ George, Honourable Minister for Large & Medium Scale Industries, IT & BT, Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, along with Shri RV Deshpande, Honourable Minister for Revenue, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Government of Karnataka, Shri Priyank M Kharge, Honourable Minister for Social Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka and Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and Chairman, Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd.
The manufacturing facility in Bengaluru also makes the e2O electric car, power trains and power electronics for its EVs under +ME brand. Mahindra aims to address the last mile connectivity with the Treo and Treo Yaari and according to the company, electric vehicles are the best solution when it comes to reducing carbon footprint, ease of running and maintenance costs. The company claims that the running cost of the Treo range is just 50 Paise per km.
The first thing you notice when you look at the Treo and Yaari is the six slats between the front headlights, similar to those seen in Mahindra SUVs. Designed, developed and manufactured in Karnataka, the dual tone blue and white electric three wheeler is a breath of fresh air in a sea of black smoke emitting, environment degrading autos and rickshaws plying our roads. The Treo can seat three passengers in the rear but it will be a squeeze and two will be comfortable. The Treo Yaari on the other had can seat four, with two opposite seat configuration in the rear. It gets a small digital console that displays range, speed and other driver informations. The dash is very minimalistic with only three buttons – for wiper, parking lamps and hazard switch The Treo is wider than the Treo Yaari by 355mm. Both of them are powered by a lithium ion battery pack and Mahindra Electric claims a range of 130km and 85 km for the Treo and Yaari on a single charge. They share a common space frame architecture. Charging time is 3 hours and 50 minutes for the Treo and 2 hours and 30 minutes for the Yaari. The battery pack is located below the driver seat and the electric motor is mounted on the rear axle. A helical spring with shock absorber up front and leaf spring with shock absorber at the rear take care of suspension duties.
Even though I always wanted to drive an auto atleast once, I have never driven one and never thought I would be driving an electric three wheeler either. So when they offered the Treo for us to drive, I grabbed the chance. The Treo is a spacious three wheeler, no doubt. It has acres of legroom for the rear passenger. At the helm of the three wheeler, it was spacious even for my 5’11” frame. The car-like hand brake lever of the Treo and Yaari is located on the right side of the driver seat. Turn the keys, switch on to drive mode, twist and go. It’s as simple as that. With a low hum that increases in volume when you twist the throttle, it isn’t exactly very silent. There are no levers on the handle bar of the Treo. Braking is taken care of hydraulic unit which connects all three wheels at the same time and it is operated by foot. However in the Treo Yaari, you get mechanical brakes for rear and front independently and it gets a lever on the handle bar to operate the front brake. The Yaari’s mechanical brakes were more effective in bringing the rickshaw to a dead halt than the hydraulic units in the Treo which lacked the bite. The Treo electric three wheelers are also equipped with regenerative braking and as you let go of throttle, engine braking kicks in to slow the EV.
Acceleration is instant thanks to a torquey BLDC motor that puts out a peak power of 7.24bhp and 30Nm in the Treo. Though the Yaari has lower power and torque as compared to the Treo, (the motor churns out 2.68bhp and 17.5 Nm of peak twist), it does not feel too slow. This is due to the fact that it is slimmer and weighs 75kg less than the Treo. The Treo hard top version has a kerb weight of 350kg. Both the Treo Yaari and Treo are 2746mm long and stand 1757mm tall (hard top trim). Due to the tall stance and slim tyres handling takes a beating here. Slimmer tyres have low rolling resistance and hence provide more range, according to the chaps at Mahindra Electric.
Both Treo and Treo Yaari have three speed modes – low, medium and high. In the Treo, the maximum speed limits for low, medium and high modes are 15kmph,20kmph and 25kmph. Yes, the top speed of the Yaari is only 25kmph. On the other hand, the Treo has maximum speeds of 28kmph, 38kmph and 45kmph in the three speed modes.
The ride was a bit bouncy on the paved and concrete roads inside the factory, since it was an extremely short ride, I cannot comment on it any further. But the spacious interiors of the Treo is bound to be a hit with passengers and drivers alike. The large windscreen offers excellent visibility. Mahindra says that the body of the electric three wheelers are made of SMC components that are rust free and easy to repair and replace. Both the EVs get features like cloud based mobility platform to remotely monitor speed, range and location.
The Treo and Treo Yaari will be rolled out in a phased manner across the country as production ramps up. Initially, the Treo electric three wheelers will be available in select dealerships in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The Treo and Treo Yaari is the need of the hour in urban cities to curb pollution and improve last mile connectivity. Though the initial investment is high, the company reckons that due to the low maintenance, subsidies from the government and low running cost, it would benefit fleet operators in the long run.