The long and flat load bay without wheel well intrusions might be the main strength of this new electric pickup truck from Montra
The electric SCV (Small Commercial Vehicle) segment currently has fewer offerings. Notable among them are Tata Motors’ Ace EV and Mahindra’s just-launched ZEO EV with BaaS (Battery as a Service) program. There seems to be a new entrant into this segment, as suggested by the recent spy shots of an electric SCV, there seems to be a new player.
Said spy shots look like they’re from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. From the looks of it, this particular test mule seems to be from Montra Electric by Murugappa Group, a subsidiary of TII (Tube Investments of India). This particular test mule from Montra Electric looks close to production as well. Let’s take a look.
New Electric Pickup Truck Spied
India as an automotive market, is quite young. Electric vehicle penetration is still in the infant stages and most of the effort is reflected in electric 2W PV and CV segments. While electric 3W rickshaws and cargo trucks have caught on, there are fewer electric 4W PVs on sale in India. OEMs are taking notice of this.
Montra Electric has commenced testing of their maiden electric SCV and it has quite a few likeable qualities about it. For starters, the design is boxy, which lends strong road presence. At the same time, it allows for better space optimisation for the cabin. Speaking of the cabin, we could not get a sneak peek through these spy shots.
Just like the exteriors, Montra has covered interiors with camouflage too. Notable elements on the outside include dual windshield wipers, manually adjustable IRVMs, low-set headlights, steel wheels, and a pronounced cavity near the bumper that acts as a step for the ingress and egress of occupants.
What to expect?
Behind this cabin, we have a rather long load bay. Considering the comercial applications, this is a flat load bay without any wheel well intrusions. Large load bay is likely to be the main strength of this un-named electric pickup truck from Montra. We can also see a sliding window in this cabin’s rear.
Montra Electric is among the electric mobility providers in India looking at the coveted eSCVs. The company already has an established electric 3W portfolio in the form of Super Auto. This electric auto rickshaw has an attractive design and spacious cabin. It boasts a ‘Super Range’ of up to 203 km (claimed).
There’s a good probability that Montra’s upcoming electric SCV might share most of its powertrains and features from Super Auto. Features like fully digital instrument cluster and Super Drive Modes might make their way on this new electric pickup truck too. Launch could be in 2025.
