Picture an auto-rickshaw gliding through city traffic with the smooth nose, wide windshield and confident stance of a small aircraft. That is the image Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Limited had in mind when it reimagined India’s most familiar three-wheeler from the ground up — and the result is the Mahindra UDO, an electric auto the company calls an “autoplane”. The name says it all: in Hindi, “udo” means “to fly”.
The Mahindra UDO, the electric auto Mahindra calls an “autoplane” (official company visual).
A design unchanged since 1948, rebuilt from scratch
The traditional auto design has barely changed globally since 1948, the company says — and it has long neglected driver and passenger comfort. Mahindra’s answer, designed by chief design and creative officer Pratap Bose and his team at Mahindra India Design Studio, starts with a segment-first full monocoque construction, the single-shell body structure more familiar from cars than from three-wheelers. The company says it brings higher structural strength and best-in-class ride quality.
The aircraft inspiration runs through the whole vehicle: a sleek, aerodynamic shape, bold headlamps, stylish mirrors and a huge windshield that give the UDO a road presence unlike anything else in its class. Inside, the “autoplane” idea continues with ergonomically designed seats — a pilot seat for the driver that is nearly 20% thicker than others in the category, and first-class passenger seating with generous headroom and legroom for lounge-like comfort on longer journeys. An independent rear suspension and dual fork front suspension add stability and comfort on rough roads.
200 kilometres, three ways to drive it
Under the body, the UDO pairs an IP67-rated, 11.7 kWh laser-welded lithium-ion battery pack with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 10 kW of peak power and 52 Nm of torque. The company says it delivers a best-in-class real-world range of 200 km — 265 km on the ARAI cycle — making it the most energy-efficient vehicle in its segment.
How that range is used is up to the driver. A tri-mode driving system — Range, Ride and Race — switches the auto between efficiency and performance depending on traffic, with a top speed of 55 km/h in Race mode to help drivers complete trips faster. Regenerative braking works with a first-in-segment reverse throttle, which the company says gives seamless speed control without touching the brakes, extending range and smoothing the ride. Hill Hold Assist keeps the auto steady on slopes, and Creep mode eases driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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Built for the driver’s working life
The UDO is engineered around the economics of the driver’s day as much as its engineering. Powerful drum brakes give the least braking distance in the segment, the company says, based on its internal tests, and 30.48 cm tubeless tyres add safety on the road. An IP67-rated battery, drivetrain and charger mean the journey continues even in extreme weather.
Behind that confidence sits a warranty of 6 years or 1.5 lakh km, whichever is earlier, plus industry-first free services until 1 lakh km. Every buyer is enrolled in Mahindra’s UDAY NXT scheme, which the company says provides ₹20 lakh accidental insurance, financial counselling and more. The UDO is built at Mahindra’s state-of-the-art plant in Zaheerabad, Telangana, where the company has invested in an all-new automated battery assembly line and robotised production lines.
Mahindra Last Mile Mobility launched the UDO in Hyderabad on 12 February 2026 at ₹3,84,299 ex-showroom, with a limited-period introductory price of ₹3,58,999. It arrives from a position of strength: the company says it closed FY26 as India’s No.1 electric small commercial vehicle manufacturer for the fourth consecutive year, crossing 1 lakh annual EV sales in FY26 — the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to do so — with a 39.7% share of the L5 category, based on SIAM data.
Managing director and CEO Suman Mishra summed up the ambition at launch: built on deep customer insights, the UDO brings together safety, comfort, design and performance, and reflects a belief that mobility in the last mile must move from survival to dignity. For the millions of Indians whose livelihoods run on three wheels, that is a quietly radical idea — an auto that finally treats its driver like a pilot, and its passengers like first-class flyers.
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