Electric vehicles have come a long way from where they began. Earlier, they were not seen as a reliable means of transport, but with the advancement of technology, they have become one of the most favored forms of automobiles. Recently, the world celebrated World EV Day, and on this special occasion, the Chief of Mahindra and Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra, shared a post from the past about their company’s first-ever EV. Anand Mahindra shared the story behind the inception of their first EV three-wheeler called the Bijlee.
Today is #WorldEVDay And it has propelled me back into the past. 1999 to be precise, when a stalwart of @MahindraRise Mr. Nagarkar, created our first ever EV—the 3 wheeler BIJLEE. It was his gift to us before retirement. I’ll never forget his words then: He wanted to do something… pic.twitter.com/f9KIXr1lkp
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 9, 2023
Anand Mahindra, the CEO of Mahindra Group known for sharing his views, opinions, and funny things on his X (formerly Twitter) profile, recently shared the story behind the creation of their first EV three-wheeler, Bijlee. He shared a picture of himself and Bijlee along with Mr. Nagarkar, a former stalwart employee of the company.
Mr. Mahindra, in the caption of the post, stated, “Today is #WorldEVDay, and it has propelled me back into the past. 1999 to be precise when a stalwart of @MahindraRise, Mr. Nagarkar, created our first-ever EV—the 3-wheeler BIJLEE. It was his gift to us before retirement. I’ll never forget his words then: He wanted to do something for the planet.” He further added in the caption, “The Bijlee, sadly, was way ahead of its time, and we bid goodbye to it after a few years of production. But the dream behind it continues to inspire us, and we will not rest till those dreams become reality.”
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Mahindra Treo – EV three-wheeler
As mentioned by Mr. Mahindra, the Bijlee was the first EV three-wheeler from the company back in 1999. However, due to being the first of its kind and a low EV adoption rate, the product could not survive in the Indian market. But this failure did not stop the company from exploring this segment. Back in 2018, almost two decades later, the company launched India’s first indigenously built electric auto called the Mahindra Treo. The company launched this innovative EV auto-rickshaw with a starting price of Rs 1.36 lakh after subsidies.
Following the success of the Mahindra Treo, the company also launched a new iteration of the model in Maharashtra back in 2021. Mahindra Electric Mobility launched the Treo 3-wheeler in Maharashtra for a starting price of Rs 2.09 lakh post-subsidies. The new EV three-wheeler was launched with an IP65-rated lithium-ion battery pack that offered a range of 130 km on a single charge.
The Treo three-wheeler comes powered by a single electric motor that generates a maximum of 10 bhp and 42 Nm of torque. This EV auto comes equipped with a direct drive transmission, and its battery can be recharged in just 3 hours and 15 minutes with the help of a 16A plug. Additionally, this EV three-wheeler is offered with Mahindra’s NEMO mobility platform and geo-fencing. The vehicle is offered by the company with a 5-year/1,50,000 km battery warranty.
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