Mahindra BE 6 And XEV 9e Won’t Get This Cool Feature That Tata Curvv.EV And Hyundai Creta Electric Have
Mahindra has launched the BE 6 and XEV 9e electric SUVs in the country. Initially, it was revealed that these vehicles would be available in just three trims. More recently, however, Mahindra added a couple of new variants to both SUVs. They come equipped with a lot of features and technology. Recently, someone sent out a mail to the company asking if the BE 6 and XEV 9e would get V2L and V2V capabilities in the future. Mahindra replied to the same saying that they won’t.
This news stems from a post shared on X by Tesla Club India. It says that Mahindra made this confirmation to a person named Sumit Sahoo ( X Handle @sumitsahoo). He had raised an enquiry about the V2L feature to which the carmaker replied:
“These features are not currently available on the BE 6 and XEV 9e. Our focus with the BE 6 and XEV 9E has been on creating electric SUVs that excel in the areas our customers prioritize most performance, range, safety, comfort, and cutting-edge technology for daily and long-distance driving.
While V2L and V2V functionalities can be useful in specific scenarios, they are typically required in situations where portable power or energy sharing is critical, which is less common for most customers’ everyday needs.
By prioritizing features like best-in-class range, advanced safety, and state-of-the-art tech that outclasses even global luxury brands, we aim to deliver the most practical and meaningful benefits for your driving experience.”
Many including us find the absence of V2L and V2V to be ok as both the BE 6 and XEV 9e deliver on their respective performance, safety and (to an extent that we know of) range claims. So why do people bother so much about V2L, given these aren’t things that you wouldn’t use on a daily basis? Well, this is mainly because the Tata Curvv- one of its key rivals, offers this feature. Even the Creta Electric has it, and it has somehow become a benchmark expectation for the price.
What Is V2L Charging?
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) sharing allows EV owners to power electronic devices and gadgets with their electric vehicles. This would be useful when there is an outage or a limited supply of power. Vehicle-to-load charging is thus a bidirectional feature. In usual scenarios, gadgets like phones, a kettle, and even other EVs can be powered. When the gadget to be powered is another EV, it is called V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) charging.
How does V2L charging work?
The V2L hardware on electric vehicles has an onboard inverter as its key component. It converts the direct current (DC) stored in the EV battery to alternating current (AC) that can be used by gadgets and appliances. Specialised adapters need to be used to plug these devices into the vehicle’s charging port. These adapters come with 3 point ports at one end and the CCS2 mounts at the other. You would also need splitter devices or multi-pin ports if you wish to charge more than one device simultaneously. Some EVs also feature dedicated built-in sockets for V2L duties and would not need adapters.
In the Indian market, electric vehicles like the Tata Curvv, Creta Electric, Hyundai IONIQ 5, KIA EV6, MG ZS EV, Tata Nexon EV etc offer V2L charging.