Parth Jindal describes the Tomahawk PHEV as the diesel killer.

JSW MG Motors is promoting plug-in hybrid technology to attract buyers of executive diesel SUVs with their latest Hector Tomahawk EV, highlighting it as a center of their strategy. According to the company, this advanced powertrain offers lower running costs of electric driving eradicating range anxiety. 

The seven-seater Tomahawk PHEV provides 115 Km of electric-only range with a combined range of 1,100 Km. 

JSW MG is competing with Diesel SUV Market 

As per JSW MG, the executive SUV market in India accounts for 50,000 units per month, with diesel SUVs accounting for 40,000 units and EVs around 10,000. The diesel segment includes models such as the Mahindra XUV 7XO, Tata Safari, and Tata Harrier, while the EV segment comes with Mahindra XEV 9S, Tata Harrier EV, and Kia Carens Clavis EV. 

The managing director at JSW MG Motor India expressed his view on this and said , “If you look at the diesel C-sized market, it is roughly around 40,000 units, and the C-sized EV market is around 10,000. So, the total potential is around 50,000.”

If we look at the pricing, the Hector Tomahawk EV is priced Rs 1.5 Lakh to Rs 2 Lakh higher than the top diesel automatic variants of the Mahindra XUV 7XO, Tata Safari, and Tata Harrier. This extra price is justified as it provides lower running costs than the overall product package. 

JSW MG Motors has established Monopoly 

Currently, the Tomahawk EV has no direct rivals for their mass-market PHEV segment in India and will be having direct competition with the diesel SUV segment. As per the recent survey conducted by Mehrotra, owners generally cover around 18,000 - 20,000 Km in a year, which includes frequent daily commutes with regular outstation travel. 

He also addressed further that people in this segment want fuel efficiency of a diesel, especially when travelling for long highway trips. Thus the plug-in hybrid makes a perfect balance between efficiency and long-term range, and still gives the running costs of an EV. 

The Chief Commercial Officer of JSW MG Motors, Vinay Rana, said that many of the customers looking for cars in this range choose diesel because it perfectly suits their needs, not because of the fuel. He added that the Indian consumer is willing to try new powertrains.