Small 3-wheeler Fill A Big Gap – Mahindra e Alpha Cargo
The new e Alpha Cargo is a breath of fresh air in the land of smoky, noisy three-wheelers. It is a small tuk-tuk dedicated to cargo, electrically driven and the ideal solution to the last-mile conundrum – how to get individual parcels or smaller cargo from the station or depot to its destination in the suburbs or industrial parks.
Cost is a major factor in the last mile environment and this electric three-wheeler promises massive savings of around R12 000 per year compared to a similar unit with an internal combustion engine. Mahindra has already achieved major success with an electric three-wheeler in its Treo range of e rickshaws and its variants, as well as the E Alpha passenger carrier. The e Alpha Cargo is similar in size but has been specifically designed to compete in the budget-conscious last mile market.
The electric three-wheeler market has shown massive growth – 510% from April to September 2020 alone – due to the high price of fuel, the massive surge in demand for last-mile carriers and the low total cost of ownership.
The e Alpha has an exceedingly low running cost in the region of R0.12/km. Yet it offers a dual-speed transmission with an integrated differential. Using this high torque gear with the e Alpha’s peak power mode allows the little three-wheeler to go up some pretty steep hills.
The cargo tray is large and wide enough to carry quite bulky packages, and the carrying capacity of 310kg is in line with the demands of the customers in this segment.
The e Alpha will not be entering F1 soon, but it will give you an 80km range, with a peak power of 1.5kW and a top speed of 40km/h. It has an onboard 48 V/15 A charger, which makes charging as easy as charging your phone. The e Alpha comes with a 1 year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
The fully digital instrument cluster gives you the state of charge on the battery, range, speed and other info at a glance.
Mahindra Electric
Mahindra Electric is a global pioneer in the development and production of electric vehicles. It is India’s only EV manufacturer with indigenously developed EV technologies. In its portfolio, there is a wide range of EVs, including the e2oPlus hatch, the Treo range of 3-wheelers and the electrified eVerito sedan for passenger and commercial use. The e Alpha is its latest offering in this fast-growing field.
In India and around the world Mahindra is involved, apart from its vehicles, in farm equipment, IT and financial services, renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate. It is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. In South Africa, Mahindra is known for its extensive range of workhorse bakkies and top-end SUVs.
