Tata Motors Beats Global Carmakers in EV Efficiency; Mahindra Takes Second Place
- Team Autopunditz
- Aug 5
- 6 min read
Tata Motors recorded the lowest weight-adjusted energy consumption among 22 major global automakers, while Mahindra secured second place in its first year of inclusion.
Indian automakers Tata Motors and Mahindra have secured the top two positions in the electric vehicle energy-efficiency metric of the International Council on Clean Transportation’s latest Global Automaker Rating 2025.
According to the ICCT assessment, Tata Motors’ battery-electric vehicle portfolio recorded an adjusted energy consumption of 106 watt-hours per kilometre, or Wh/km. Mahindra followed with 113 Wh/km, placing both Indian manufacturers ahead of global electric vehicle companies such as Tesla, BYD, BMW, Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia and Mercedes-Benz on this specific technology parameter. (ICCT)
However, the result needs to be interpreted correctly. Tata Motors and Mahindra did not rank first and second in the ICCT’s overall automaker transition rating. They led the study’s BEV energy-consumption metric, which is one of ten parameters used to assess manufacturers’ progress towards zero-emission mobility.
What Does 106 Wh/km Mean?
Energy consumption indicates how much electricity an EV requires to travel one kilometre.
A Tata Motors figure of 106 Wh/km corresponds to approximately:
106 Wh/km × 100 km = 10.6 kWh per 100 km
Mahindra’s 113 Wh/km translates to around:
113 Wh/km × 100 km = 11.3 kWh per 100 km
Lower consumption indicates that less battery energy is needed to cover the same distance. In principle, better efficiency can support:
Lower electricity consumption and charging costs
More range from a given battery capacity
Reduced demand for large and expensive battery packs
Lower vehicle weight and resource consumption
Reduced load on charging and electricity infrastructure
These figures should not be treated as the guaranteed real-world efficiency of every Tata or Mahindra EV. They represent the ICCT’s manufacturer-level, sales-weighted and weight-adjusted assessment of the companies’ BEV portfolios.
Why ICCT Adjusts for Vehicle Weight
Comparing the raw energy consumption of a compact electric hatchback with that of a large electric SUV would not provide a completely fair picture. Larger and heavier vehicles naturally require more energy for acceleration and movement.
The ICCT therefore adjusts energy consumption for vehicle weight. This attempts to measure how efficiently each manufacturer uses battery energy while accounting for differences in the size and mass of its vehicles.
The adjustment is particularly relevant in Mahindra’s case because the company’s current electric portfolio is centred on comparatively large SUVs. Tata Motors, meanwhile, offers EVs across several smaller and more accessible vehicle segments.
The resulting scores gave Tata Motors the maximum 100 points for this efficiency metric, while Mahindra received 89 points.
Tata Motors Benefits From Compact and Diverse EV Portfolio
Tata Motors’ position reflects the nature of its Indian electric vehicle portfolio. The manufacturer sells EVs across compact hatchback, micro-SUV, compact SUV and coupe-SUV segments through products such as the Tiago.ev, Tigor.ev, Punch.ev, Nexon.ev and Curvv.ev.
Smaller vehicles generally need less energy to overcome rolling resistance, aerodynamic drag and inertia. Tata’s strong presence in compact segments consequently gives it an advantage in fleet-level efficiency.
The ICCT methodology nevertheless reduces the effect of vehicle size by applying a weight adjustment, meaning Tata’s result cannot be attributed only to selling smaller cars.
The finding indicates that the company’s combination of vehicle packaging, power electronics, electric motors, regenerative braking, thermal management and battery calibration has produced a highly efficient portfolio by international standards.
Mahindra Takes Second Place Despite SUV-Focused Line-Up
Mahindra’s second-place result is significant because the automaker was included in the Global Automaker Rating for the first time in this edition. The ICCT expanded the assessment to cover 22 of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Mahindra as a major participant in India’s passenger-vehicle market.
Unlike Tata Motors, Mahindra predominantly competes in the SUV market. Larger vehicles typically carry more weight, use wider tyres and present a larger frontal area, all of which can increase energy consumption.
Its adjusted result of 113 Wh/km therefore suggests that Mahindra’s electric architecture and powertrain deliver competitive efficiency relative to the size and weight of its products. Mahindra has also expanded beyond the older XUV400 with its newer-generation electric SUVs, giving the company a broader and technologically more advanced EV portfolio.
How Indian Manufacturers Compared With Global Brands
Tata Motors and Mahindra were followed by manufacturers including Tesla and BYD in the ICCT energy-efficiency chart. Several Japanese, European, American, Chinese and Korean automakers recorded higher adjusted consumption levels.
The study’s manufacturer list included:
Tesla
BYD
Mazda
Toyota
BMW
Honda
General Motors
SAIC
Changan
Suzuki
Volkswagen
Nissan
Geely
Chery
Hyundai-Kia
Mercedes-Benz
Great Wall Motor
Ford
Renault
Stellantis
The industry’s average adjusted BEV energy consumption remained broadly stable, moving from approximately 132 Wh/km in 2024 to 131 Wh/km in 2025. Only eight of the assessed manufacturers improved their energy-consumption performance during the year.
Efficiency Ranking Is Not the Same as Overall EV Leadership
The Global Automaker Rating evaluates manufacturers across ten indicators grouped under three broad areas:
Market dominance
This includes factors such as EV sales share, electric model availability and coverage across major vehicle segments.
Technology performance
The assessment examines electric driving range, charging capability and BEV energy consumption.
Strategic vision
The ICCT also studies manufacturers’ future electric-vehicle targets, investment commitments, battery recycling initiatives and efforts to decarbonise manufacturing.
Consequently, a manufacturer can perform exceptionally well in efficiency but receive a lower overall transition score because of its EV sales share, charging technology, geographic reach, model coverage or long-term commitments.
The ICCT’s overall rating continued to place companies such as BYD and Tesla among the leading manufacturers in the global zero-emission transition. Tata Motors remained in the broader “Transitioner” category, while Mahindra was evaluated for the first time.
Why the Result Matters for India
The ranking demonstrates that Indian EV engineering can compete globally not only on pricing but also on energy utilisation.
Efficiency is particularly important in a price-sensitive market such as India. A more efficient vehicle can potentially achieve a targeted driving range with a smaller battery. Since the battery is one of the most expensive components in an EV, reducing the required pack capacity may help lower vehicle cost.
Greater efficiency could also reduce electricity demand across a growing EV fleet. For example, the difference between an EV consuming 106 Wh/km and another consuming 150 Wh/km becomes substantial over several years of ownership.
At an annual usage of 12,000 km:
An EV consuming 106 Wh/km would require around 1,272 kWh
An EV consuming 150 Wh/km would require around 1,800 kWh
That represents a theoretical difference of approximately 528 kWh per year, although actual consumption will depend on driving conditions, climate, speed, traffic, charging losses and accessory usage.
Smaller Batteries Can Be a Strategic Advantage
The global EV market has often focused on larger batteries and longer headline range figures. But simply increasing battery capacity adds cost, mass and material demand.
Improving vehicle efficiency offers another route to increasing range. Manufacturers can optimise:
Vehicle aerodynamics
Motor and inverter efficiency
Tyre rolling resistance
Regenerative braking
Battery and cabin thermal management
Software-based power delivery
Overall vehicle mass
This approach could be especially relevant for India, where customers require a balance between acquisition cost, range and charging convenience.
Compact, energy-efficient EVs may ultimately be more practical for mass-market adoption than expensive vehicles carrying oversized battery packs.
Real-World Results May Differ
The ICCT figure is a comparative manufacturer metric rather than a direct prediction of customer efficiency.
Actual energy consumption can vary significantly depending on:
Highway or urban operation
Vehicle speed
Ambient temperature
Air-conditioning usage
Traffic congestion
Tyre pressure
Passenger and luggage load
Road gradient
Driving behaviour
Charging losses
Buyers should therefore continue to consider real-world road tests, battery capacity, certified range and charging performance when comparing individual models.
Auto Punditz View
Tata Motors and Mahindra taking the first two positions in the ICCT’s weight-adjusted BEV energy-consumption ranking is an important achievement for India’s automotive industry.
Tata’s result highlights the benefits of building a diversified and relatively compact EV portfolio, while Mahindra’s performance shows that larger electric SUVs can also deliver strong energy utilisation when vehicle mass is considered.
The bigger challenge will be translating this technical strength into higher EV sales, faster charging, broader model coverage and long-term global competitiveness.
For now, the study indicates that Indian electric vehicles are not merely low-cost alternatives. On one of the most fundamental measures of EV engineering—how effectively battery energy is converted into distance—India’s two leading homegrown manufacturers are setting a global benchmark.
