Kathmandu - Electric vehicles (EVs) manufactured by Indian auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra have been denied import permission in Nepal after authorities raised doubts about the claimed motor power in the submitted specifications.

 Agni Energy Pvt. Ltd., part of the Agni Group, had been importing Mahindra’s EVs to the Nepali market. Other Mahindra cars are brought in by another company under the same group, Agni Incorporated.

This is the first known case in Nepal where import approval has been denied due to concerns over an EV’s motor power.

 On Jestha 11, Agni Energy sought approval from the Department of Transport Management to import two electric models: BE.6e and XEV 9e. 

According to the documents, the BE.6e model features a peak motor power of 99 kilowatts and a 79 kWh battery, while the XEV 9e model is said to have a peak motor power of 199 kilowatts with the same battery capacity.

Agni Energy had requested permission to import three EVs before the federal budget announcement, amid widespread speculation about upcoming tax hikes. 

The company intended to bring them in for testing purposes. However, with the budget keeping EV tax rates unchanged, Agni says it has no regrets about not securing approval in time.

Due to growing concerns over discrepancies in declared motor power, the Department of Transport Management has now begun subjecting EV import applications to stricter investigation, including cross-verification of technical claims.

However, Nepal currently lacks the necessary equipment to independently test the peak power of EV motors. 

Because of this, the department is now verifying manufacturer claims through official documents and by consulting independent testing bodies in the vehicle's country of origin.

 
In this case, the department had requested Agni to submit third-party verification for the motor power ratings of both proposed models around two weeks ago.

As of now, Agni has not complied.

Agni had requested approval to import one unit of the BE.6e and two units of the XEV 9e.

Officials suspect that the peak motor power in the vehicles destined for Nepal is lower than in the same models sold in India. This, they say, may explain the importer’s failure to produce verified documents.

 
Last year, Agni imported 40 units of the Mahindra XUV400 Electric, which featured a 110-kilowatt motor — the same as the version sold in India. 

 That consistency has prompted further scrutiny of the lower motor ratings claimed in the new imports.

In India, both models — the BE.6e and the XEV 9e — are available with either a 170 kW or 210 kW motor. 

But the versions proposed for Nepal feature downgraded motors, according to the documents: the BE.6e shows a drop from 170 kW to 99 kW, and the XEV 9e from 210 kW to 199 kW.

 Prices and Specifications Revealed Before Budget

Before the budget announcement, Agni had already released pricing details. The BE.6e model with a 59 kWh battery was priced at Rs 7.63 million, while the 79 kWh variant was listed at Rs 8.38 million, both featuring a 99 kW motor.

Likewise, the XEV 9e was said to come in two motor variants — 99 kW and 199 kW. The mid-range version, with a 59 kWh battery, was priced at Rs 7.765 million, while the top-end variant was listed at Rs 8.715 million.

 The flagship model — featuring a 79 kWh battery and a 199 kW motor — was priced at Rs 10.7 million, according to Agni’s published MRP.