Mahindra SUV Sales Hit Record High In October, But EV Share Remains Below 7%

Mahindra & Mahindra recorded its highest monthly SUV sales in October 2025, selling 71,624 units domestically and achieving a 31% year-on-year growth. The company's strong performance reflected festive demand and recent GST tax reforms that benefited the utility vehicle sector. However, analysis of the company's electric vehicle penetration reveals that EVs account for less than 7% of total SUV sales, positioning Mahindra behind competitors in electric vehicle adoption.

Mahindra's October 2025 sales reached 71,624 units, surpassing the previous record of 54,504 units in October 2024. This milestone reflected sustained consumer interest in the company's SUV portfolio, which includes the Scorpio-N, Thar, Bolero, XUV700, and XUV 3XO. The Scorpio range led sales with 17,880 units, followed by the Bolero range with 14,343 units. The Bolero saw the most significant growth, with sales climbing 37% year-on-year. Mahindra's total vehicle sales, including exports, stood at 120,142 units in October, reflecting a 26% increase compared to the same month last year.

Data from Mahindra's first ten months of operations in 2025 showed that electric vehicles accounted for 7.5% of total dispatches, a substantial increase from the 1% recorded during the same period last year. In October specifically, the company sold 4,916 units of its Electric Origin SUV, translating to approximately 6.86% of total SUV sales. The Electric Origin SUV registered 2,252% year-on-year growth, jumping from just 209 units in October 2024.

From April to October 2025, Mahindra sold 38,464 electric vehicles out of its total 518,321 SUV dispatches. This meant that 480,857 units relied on traditional internal combustion engines. The company's EV portfolio includes the XUV400, BE 6, XEV 9e, and Electric Origin SUV. Industry reports indicated that Mahindra ranked third in October 2025 EV retail sales with 3,911 units, behind Tata Motors and JSW MG Motor India.

Tata Motors maintained its leadership position in the EV segment with a 38.56% market share during the April-October 2025 period. In October alone, Tata sold 6,878 units of electric vehicles out of its total 61,295 SUV sales, representing an 11.22% penetration rate. The company's EV lineup includes the Nexon EV, Punch EV, Tiago EV, and the newly launched Curvv EV and Sierra EV.

JSW MG Motor India held a 28.39% market share in overall EV sales for the period, selling 29,530 units. In October 2025, MG recorded 4,464 units of EV sales, achieving a 78.2% EV share of its total passenger vehicle sales. The Windsor EV emerged as India's highest-selling EV model during this period, recording over 4,500 units in a single month.

Hyundai Motor India recorded limited EV adoption, with its Creta Electric accounting for less than 1% of total sales. Since the Creta Electric's January 2025 launch, the company sold approximately 4,000 units cumulatively. In October 2025, Hyundai's total sales reached 53,792 units, with electric vehicles representing just 0.7% of this volume.

Mahindra stated its target of achieving 15% to 25% EV share in sales by 2027. The company noted that the BE 6 and XEV 9e born-electric vehicles contributed 7% of total dispatches, indicating a shift in consumer preferences towards zero-emission vehicles. The company planned to launch the XEV 9S on November 27, 2025, as part of its expanded EV roadmap.

Electric vehicles recorded a 25% year-on-year growth across the passenger vehicle segment in October 2025. The expansion of charging infrastructure, falling battery costs, and supportive government policies continued to drive EV adoption. Mahindra's relatively lower EV penetration compared to Tata Motors suggested that the majority of buyers still preferred traditional fuel options, driven by factors including charging infrastructure gaps, higher upfront costs, and familiarity with conventional powertrains.

The festive demand surge during October 2025 particularly benefited SUV manufacturers, with the segment recording a 23.5% month-on-month growth. Mahindra's commercial vehicle division also performed well, with domestic sales of 31,741 units representing a 14% year-on-year increase. Three-wheeler sales reached 12,762 units, up 30% year-on-year, reflecting the company's diversified product portfolio.

Mahindra's record SUV sales demonstrated the continued dominance of internal combustion engine vehicles in the Indian market. With approximately 93% of Mahindra's SUV sales relying on traditional powertrains during the first ten months of 2025, the company faced challenges in accelerating its electric vehicle transition. However, the strong growth trajectory of its EV segment, with the Electric Origin SUV showing 2,252% year-on-year growth in October, indicated rising consumer interest in zero-emission alternatives. Industry observers noted that the pace of India's electric vehicle adoption would depend on sustained infrastructure development, cost reduction, and expanding model availability across price segments.