Mahindra targeting UK entry with three electric SUVs

Mahindra & Mahindra is targeting a UK market entry with three of its electric SUVs. Our sister publication Autocar UK understands that the Indian automaker has already conducted customer clinics in the UK to gauge market interest, positioning and commercial potential. The BE 6 is expected to spearhead Mahindra’s EV push in the UK, along with the XEV 9e and the BE 07, the latter of which will go on sale in India next year. 

Mahindra EV export plans to the UK 

Mahindra first expressed interest in entering the UK market in 2022, when it opened its Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (M.A.D.E) studio in the country and showcased its five-model born-electric SUV range.

Following the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) coming into effect in July 2025, Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO of Mahindra Group’s Automotive Division, told our sister publication Autocar Professional: “UK is on the horizon for us. 18-24 months is the timeline we are looking at. The India-UK FTA has come well in time and that should definitely help us in the expansion that we are planning.”

Based on Gollagunta’s original timeline, Mahindra was expected to enter the UK market in 2027. However, the launch could be pushed to 2028 due to cybersecurity compliance requirements in the UK.

To sell passenger electric vehicles in the UK, Mahindra must secure type approval under the applicable UNECE regulations. This will require its EVs to comply with UN R155 (Cybersecurity) and UN R156 (Software Updates), which mandate safeguards against cybersecurity threats and establish requirements for software update management.

India is not currently bound by these UN regulations for domestic vehicle sales. However, India plans to introduce similar requirements through its upcoming AIS 189 standards, which are scheduled to come into effect in October 2027. 

Given that the UK is a right-hand-drive (RHD) market, an entry there would be a logical next step for Mahindra. The company so far does not have a left-hand-drive (LHD) configuration for its EVs and has yet to begin exporting them to any international market.

Mahindra’s existing presence in the UK 

As mentioned, Mahindra already operates its M.A.D.E design studio in the UK, which has played a key role in designing its born-electric range of SUVs. Having an established presence in the market also gives the automaker a strategic advantage in understanding local consumer preferences, regulatory frameworks and safety requirements.

This is not the first time Mahindra has exported a vehicle to the UK though. In 2016, the company launched the electric e2o city car in the market, but weak sales led to its withdrawal within a few months. Plans to re-enter the UK were revived in 2022 with the unveiling of its new born-electric SUV range.

The timing of Mahindra’s planned return could not be better, with the India-UK FTA reducing the import fees on Indian cars, paving the way for Mahindra to finally make good on its long-planned launch in the market. However, given the European buyer’s preference for understated and very practical designs, it remains to be seen how they take to Mahindra’s flamboyant EVs. 

With inputs from Sergius Barretto