Mahindra & Mahindra has launched new variants of the Scorpio and Bolero with micro-hybrid technology. The new varaints are priced between Rs 6.5 lakh and Rs 6.97 lakh, around Rs. 3800 more then the standard variant.
“This is the technological innovation which we have developed with the support from Bosch. This will give an average fuel saving of about five per cent from the normal vehicles,” Mahindra & Mahindra President (Auto Motive sector) Pawan Goenka said.
The micro-hybrid technology enables vehicle engine to turn off automatically when idle or in neutral gear. The engine restarts once the clutch is pressed. The company is planning to make this technology available in all of the company’s high-volume products, including Mahindra Pick-up and other engine series such as the M-Hawk. The company is also considering to use the technology in its yet-to-be launched Ingenio SUVs. M&M has also applied for a patent for a specific sensor, which it has developed as part of this technology. The company is considering to focus on the hybrid vehicle development but “is taking time due to certain issues. The Mahindra FuelSmart system with Micro Hybrid technology switches off the vehicle’s engine after it has come to a complete halt. For example, if the vehicle comes to a halt at a traffic signal and is in neutral, the engine will shut down automatically after 10 seconds. Just before stopping, the indicator light located in the instrument cluster will blink, indicating that the engine is going to stop shortly. Once the signal turns green and the driver presses the clutch pedal, the engine starts immediately for continuing the journey. In addition to fuel efficiency, the system also has other advantages. Since the engine is switched off during traffic signals / traffic jams, release of a considerable amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is avoided. This mitigates the adverse effects of global warming, thus helping to provide us with a cleaner environment to live in. The system also monitors health of the battery, safety requirements and the engine temperature, etc. for a trouble-free performance.
