World Environment Day: Mahindra Treo Plus Review- The Urban Transporter

The need for e-auto is certainly going up. We met up with one such e-auto, the Mahindra Treo Plus.

With smart cities now bustling with infrastructure activity, causing jams and irritation, last-mile connectivity is something that is now getting a lot of attention and with metro stations coming up in cities like Pune and Mumbai, the need for e-auto is certainly going up. We met up with one such e-auto the Mahindra Treo Plus.

Mahindra Treo Plus: Sales And Savings

Mahindra has sold nearly 50,000 of the Treo, yet the urge to switch to an EV auto is not that high. This is after the company claimed that the potential savings when compared to CNG 3 wheelers is around 6 lakh over 5 years. But the EV infrastructure hasn’t developed. while I’ll be able to find a petrol pump or a CNG station faster, finding an EV charging station and waiting for it to charge which is close to 4 hours, is not ideal for business.

Mahindra Treo Plus: How It Rides

But still, the switch to this form of electric mobility is an eventuality and the ride is enjoyable and emission-free. There’s a 10.24 kWh battery pack with power going up to 10 bhp and there’s 42 Nm torque. Quick response on the throttle and it’s very simple to ride. There are two modes B and E, Switch to E and the response is sluggish but B brings out a quick-spirited burst of power.

Mahindra Treo Plus: Ride and Handling

On the ride front, it’s a little bouncy, but more comfortable than your normal rickshaw. The front monoshock is not harsh on the handle but at the rear, the suspension is a little harder. But then again a full charge will take you to 150 kms so the last mile bit adds up, but there is no option of fast charging can prove to be a little problematic. What’s not such a huge problem is the space at the back.

Mahindra Treo Plus: Rear Seat Space

Now in a normal rickshaw, you will have a wheelbase of 2000 mm, the Treo gets 73 mm more, which is not much but still gives you good legroom. The Treo is 50 mm wider too so more space for people as well and that’s important because the comfort for 3 people back here is very important. For those wondering about how robust it is, the Treo Plus now gets a metal body, which adds to the weight but gives it more stability.

Mahindra Treo Plus: Verdict

Now e-rickshaws like these are to be introduced in smart cities across the country. The city of Thane and the Pimpri-Chinchwad area already have these running. A lot more activity is expected in this segment, so more players, more products and therefore more competition. At the end of the day, it’s about making public transport emissions free and that’s half the battle won!

Photography By: Aadil Khan