Trademark dispute: Delhi HC rejects plea to restrain Mahindra from selling its eZEO EV | Company Business News

The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a request for an injunction against Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Ltd, a subsidiary of automobile giant Mahindra & Mahindra, in a trademark infringement case filed by Gensol Electric Vehicles. 

The suit, filed in September, alleged that Mahindra’s electric vehicle (EV), the Mahindra eZEO, infringed on the trademark “eZIO” held by Gensol for its upcoming Urban EV.

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Justice Amit Bansal, presiding over the single bench, dismissed the request for an injunction, stating that Gensol had failed to make a compelling case. The court noted that Mahindra had already launched its electric commercial vehicle, while Gensol’s EV was still in development. 

“The balance of convenience is in favour of the defendant, as it has already launched its product, whereas the plaintiff is yet to launch its product in the market,” justice Bansal said.

Set up in 2022, Gensol Electric Vehicles had been developing an EV aimed at urban mobility. The company finalized the design of its EV, named “EZIO,” in September 2022, and filed for trademark registration in June 2023, which was granted in May 2024. 

Gensol began road testing its vehicle in Pune in January 2024. Upon discovering Mahindra’s planned launch of an EV under the “eZEO” name in September 2024, Gensol filed the lawsuit, fearing consumer confusion.

Mahindra, on the other hand, argued that it had developed the “eZEO” brand after conducting extensive trademark and market research, ensuring there were no conflicts within the electric vehicle sector. 

In September 2024, Mahindra unveiled its electric vehicle under the “eZEO” and “ZEO” trademarks, coinciding with World Electric Vehicle Day. Mahindra asserts it is the first user of the “eZEO” mark, highlighting that Gensol only made its marks public on 25 September 2024—just a day before filing the lawsuit—while Mahindra had been using the “eZEO” mark since September 9, 2024.

Furthermore, Mahindra argued that its electric four-wheeler and Gensol’s planned two-door, three-wheeler target distinct consumer segments, mitigating any potential confusion.

Subsequently, Mahindra proposed using solely the “ZEO” mark, alongside its house brand “Mahindra.”

The ZEO electric four-wheeler is priced at ₹7.52 lakh (ex-showroom) and aims to disrupt the small commercial vehicle segment, traditionally dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles. Mahindra’s ZEO is designed for last-mile urban logistics, with a focus on energy efficiency and faster charging.

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Meanwhile, Gensol plans to unveil its EV at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025. The EZIO model is expected to offer a range of up to 200 km on a full charge and a top speed of 80 km/h. The vehicle received ARAI certification in February last year.

This lawsuit marks the second trademark dispute involving Mahindra’s electric vehicle lineup. In December, IndiGo’s parent company, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, filed a trademark infringement case against Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd over the use of “6E” in the name of Mahindra’s BE 6e electric car model. 

Mahindra has since agreed to rebrand the BE 6e to BE 6 while the case is pending.