Automobiles major Mahindra & Mahindra is gearing up to launch a mild-hybrid technology version of its passenger vehicle Scorpio in the near future.
Arun Jaura, senior vice-president (research & development), M&M, said that the company was in the process of developing a hybrid tech version of Scorpio, a prototype of which was displayed at the India Auto Expo in January this year.
"While the completely redesigned hybrid version of Scorpio will take some time to come, a mild-hybrid version with minor adjustment in design to accommodate the battery unit can be introduced sooner," Jaura said. However, he did not give the possible time for introduction of the new version.
While the full-hybrid version makes it possible to run the vehicle on both electric power and petrol or diesel, the mild hybrid technology will offer stop-and-start with electrical power, Jaura explained, adding that the facility would be relevant for frequent halts at traffic lights in big cities.
The company had indicated at the Auto Expo in January this year that the full-hybrid tech version of Scorpio would be launched in about 30 months' time.
"While the development effort to meet that commitment is well in progress, the mild-hybrid option can be introduced much before," Jaura said.
"While the full-hybrid version will necessitate a complete redesign of the power train for Scorpio, minor adjustments in the vehicle's cab will be enough for mild-hybrid," he said. Jaura did not comment on the pricing of the mild-hybrid but said the user could recover the price difference in a year.
He ruled out the possibility of retrofitting the hybrid tech unit on existing Scorpio vehicles.
M&M currently sells about 4000 units of Scorpio per month, and hybrid tech model will be made available initially at the buyer's option.
