Prabhas' 'Kalki 2898 AD' to Feature Futuristic 6-Tonne 'Buggy' EV as Co-Star
Be it Hollywood or Bollywood, cars are used a lot in action scenes in movies. The way cars are used in South Indian movies makes them look beyond imagination on screen. Science fiction films around the world have depicted cars in different ways. It seems that Kalki 2898 AD, an upcoming Indian science-fiction action film written and directed by Naga Ashwin, will feature a car in a major role.
The film stars Prabhas in the lead role. It stars actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan. One element in the film that is garnering a lot of attention is an AI-powered car named Bujji. The car named Bujji has already been shown performing action stunts in the film's trailer. Recently, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra rode Buggy.
Bujji plays an important role in the film as Prabhas' character Bhairava's trusted and best friend. Keerthy Suresh has lent her voice to Bujji. The film is scheduled to release on June 27. The vehicle is futuristic and quite huge which looks very unusual with its huge wheels. It seems to be inspired by the Batmobile from the Batman films. There is a transparent canopy over the cockpit of the vehicle, which seems to have been inspired by the design of fighter planes.
An interesting fact is that during the making of the film, the director of the film Nag Ashwin approached Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra. On Ashwin's request, Anand Mahindra activated his team and connected the filmmaker to Coimbatore-based Gem Automotives. Which is known for making automotive parts. It is being told that the car weighs 6 tonnes, with custom-made 34.4-inch hubless rims at the front. While an impressive single wheel has been installed at the rear. This makes it easy for Bujji to move freely in any direction.
In a post on his X (earlier Twitter) handle, Anand Mahindra revealed that the huge vehicle is powered by two Mahindra electric motors. Which power the rear circular wheel. The Bujji has three huge wheels, two at the front and one circular wheel at the rear.
The electric propulsion system includes a 47 kWh battery pack, which together with the electric motors generates a peak power of 126 bhp and a maximum torque of 9,800 Nm. Talking about the size, the vehicle measures 6,075 mm in length, 3,380 mm in width and 2,186 mm in height. Gem Automotives has revealed that the vehicle can reach a top speed of 45 kmph. Also, battery swapping technology has been provided in this vehicle.