UK's BII to invest in new Mahindra EV unit at US$9.1 billion valuation

FILE PHOTO: A Mahindra e2o electric car radial is seen in London, Britain April 15, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
India's Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said on Thursday that the automaker and British International Investment (BII) would each invest up to US$250 million in a new electric vehicle subsidiary at a valuation of US$9.1 billion.
BII will have a 4.8 per cent ownership in the business, which will focus on four-wheel passenger electric vehicles. The unit will be wholly owned by Mahindra.
"We would expect between 20 per cent to 30 per cent of Mahindra SUVs being electric by 2027," said M&M executive director Rajesh Jejurikar.
The total capital infusion for the new unit is expected to be about 80 billion rupees (US$1.01 billion) spread out between 2024 and 2027, Mahindra said.
Mahindra said it would work jointly with the British development finance institution to bring other investors in the EV company to match the funding requirement in a phased manner.