PUNE: Mahindra and Mahindra on Wednesday unveiled its new state-of-the-art manufacturing and battery assembly facility at its Chakan plant, a fully-integrated ecosystem dedicated to producing electric-origin SUVs.
The plant is located within the company's 2.83 square kilometre Chakan manufacturing hub. The company claims it is one of India's largest greenfield projects, a water-positive facility and 100 per cent reliant on renewable energy.
As announced earlier, Mahindra has allocated Rs 4,500 crore out of the total Rs 16,000 crore planned in the F22-F27 investment cycle- which includes powertrain development, two product top hats including software and tech and manufacturing capacity.
Mahindra's EV manufacturing hub is a fully integrated, highly automated manufacturing ecosystem that leverages over 1,000 robots and multiple automated transfer systems. The EV facility targets a 25 per cent gender diversity ratio.
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The EV plant utilises a fully-automated press shop, an AI-driven body shop and robotic paint shops to optimise quality and efficiency. It deploys over 500 robots and fully automated transfer systems in the body shop, all monitored via an IoT-based "Nerve Center" for real-time process insights and end-to-end traceability. The plant also adopts Industry 4.0 tech, AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robot), and AGVs for seamless material movement.
The battery assembly employs a patented pallet design for optimal insulation and geometric accuracy, plus hidden cell terminal welding for enhanced connectivity and robust performance. The assembly also performs multi-layered end-of-line testing simulating real-world conditions, backed by IP67 ingress protection, real-time temperature monitoring, and automated anomaly isolation. It also implements a no-fault-forward strategy coupled with proprietary switching technology, that underscores superior product quality and reliability.
Mahindra recently launched the BE 6 and XEV 9e. Based on the born-electric IN-GLO platform, the SUVs are available in two battery pack choices and three variants. Bookings will commence on February 14 and deliveries in early March. Two more electric SUVs on the IN-GLO platform are in the works.