Mahindra Temporarily Renames BE 6e Amid Ongoing Legal Clash with IndiGo

Mahindra & Mahindra was recently in the headlines for its two upcoming born-electric SUVs – XEV 9e and BE 6e. Both EVs are slated to make their public debut at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Show in January, along with their full price reveal. As of now, the carmaker has confirmed that the Mahindra XEV 9e and BE 6e SUV’s base ‘Pack One’ variants are priced at Rs 21.90 lakh and Rs 18.90 lakh, respectively. With the official unveiling of the Mahindra BE 6e, things got heated between the indigenous SUV maker and IndiGo airline as the latter filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the former over using the name ‘6E.’

What’s ‘6E’ for IndiGo?

IndiGlobe Aviation Limited, which runs IndiGo airlines, uses “6E” as its callsign and across services, including 6E Flex and 6E Prime. In fact, it has been the core of the brand’s identity for almost two decades. IndiGo stated that the ‘6E’ mark is used for its services, goods, and offerings in collaboration with trusted partners. It claimed that Mahindra’s use of the ‘6E’ mark, whether standalone or in any other form, is unauthorized. This, IndiGo argued, constitutes infringement of its rights, status, and goodwill, and the company vowed to take all required measures to protect its intellectual property and brand identity.

What Mahindra Said?

After a week-long legal battle, Mahindra announced that its forthcoming Mahindra BE 6e electric SUV has been renamed BE 6 on a temporary basis. The carmaker stated it will continue to contest the brand rights for its EV in court, asserting that “BE 6e” is not the standalone “6E” and that the trademark has been registered under the Class 12 section. Mahindra also pointed out that “Tata Motors had previously objected to InterGlobe using the IndiGo mark, citing their Tata Indigo car brand.”

It further argued that IndiGo’s claim is baseless and, if the case is not settled, it could lead to an unhealthy precedent of monopolizing alphanumeric two-character marks. Mahindra stated that its mark is “distinctive and different” from IndiGo’s 6E, and such claims would constrain all firms across industries and sectors. The next case hearing is scheduled for 9th December 2024.

About Mahindra BE 6 SUV

The Mahindra BE 6e, now rebranded as BE 6, comes with two battery packs – 59kWh and 79kWh, using LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells. The smaller battery delivers a claimed power of 228bhp and an ARAI-certified range of 556km. The bigger battery, on the other hand, produces a maximum power of 281bhp and offers an ARAI-rated range of 550km. Buyers will get 11.2kW AC and 7.3kW AC chargers as standard. The batteries can also be charged from 20 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes using a 175kW DC fast charger.