Decoding XUV400 with R Velusamy, President, Automotive Technology, M&M

20 Sep , 2022 By : Monika Singh

Mahindra & Mahindra have unveiled their first all-electric SUV, the XUV400. The vehicle will be launched in early January 2023. R. Velusamy, President, Automotive Technology and Product Development, M&M tells us the challenges faced by the team and the key factors kept for the XUV400.

Based on XUV300, an internal combustion engine vehicle, what were changes needed for the all-electric XUV400?

The floor has to be made flat and to protect the battery, we need to reinforce the area around it in case of a side crash. The battery is also mounted with cooling and heating systems wiring. The front end is designed differently because you need to add a third load box which ends up increasing the weight of the vehicle. Then you have a charging unit, battery disconnect unit, electric motor, motor controller unit to vehicle control unit all of which have to be packaged.

You’ve mentioned that the weight has increased in the XUV400. So, what changes were required for the suspension system?

With the increase in weight, the usual practice is to make the springs stiffer but this affects the ride quality. To improve the ride quality, the XUV400 comes with frequency-dependent suspension damping like the new Scorpio N. This allows us to relax the spring and not compromise on the ride quality. This also helps in controlling the body roll of the vehicle.

Watch Video | R. Velusamy, President, Automotive Technology, M&M Ltd, decodes Mahindra XUV400:

Could you tell us about the 39.4 kWh battery?

The battery pack comes from LG Korea and it is completely designed with the help AVL consultancy though its production takes place at our Chakkan plant. The cell comes from Korea, but the rest like battery making and model testing is all done here at our plant.

You said the battery pack is indigenous. Could you talk a bit about that?

So, you get the cell then pack them in models and they are put inside the battery cavities. After you have a cooling plate and covers on top of it. Then you have electrical connections like positive and negative connections, cell circulatory, cell temperature and voltage measurement devices integrated and put together.