The first vehicle made in the first new auto plant to open in the region in 25 years was revealed on Friday, March 2.
Mahindra Automotive North America unveiled the Mahindra Roxor, an exclusively off-road, side-by-side vehicle based off a popular Mahindra design from India, at the new plant to a crowd of employees and dignitaries.
The company announced a $22.3 million investment last summer to bring its headquarters and off-road vehicle manufacturing plant to Auburn Hills. Based in India, Mahindra began breaking into the American market in 2013 with its technical center in Troy.
“We invested in America because it’s home to some of the best automotive talent,” Pawan Goenka, managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said. “We knew if we wanted to supercharge our ambitions, the right place to build would be right here.”
The new plant has created about 300 jobs so far, according to Goenka. It’s about 100,000 square-feet of manufacturing and 50,000 square-feet of office space.
The manufacturing of the Mahindra Roxor is a hybrid process, with some assembly taking place in India before being finished in Auburn Hills. It features a stamp-steel body, a 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine and retails for a little over $15,000.
Rick Haas, president and CEO of Mahindra Automotive North America, also announced that Mahindra is currently bidding to contract with the United States Postal Service for a new fleet of 180,000 vehicles over six years. The company designed a brand new vehicle for the potential contract, which is currently being tested by the postal service. A decision is expected to be announced by the end of 2018.
“We started this opportunity with six guys and a vision,” Haas said. “This is our first commercial product available and it’s a game changer in the power-sports world.”
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