The real impetus in the switch towards electric mobility will come from commercial vehicles, especially buses and cargo trucks in urban areas. Already, there is large-scale adoption in some metros, but the opportunity for newer formats of EVs is huge.
Switch Mobility showcased its range of electric buses at the Auto Expo 2023, from the single-decker city bus to the large double-deckers, which the company also sells in other global markets. It also launched its IEV (Intelligent Electric Vehicle) series of light trucks and cargo vehicles, which can do about 150 Kms on a charge, powered by a 50Kw motor. These are based on the Ashok Leyland Dost platform.
On the sidelines, of the Auto Expo 2023, FinancialExpress.com caught up with Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility and spoke with him about how the company is expanding its footprint in various urban markets.
Babu spoke about how for buses, the hub and spoke model with captive charging infrastructure works well, reducing dependence on public infrastructure. However, with its IEV cargo series of vehicles, it has provided flexibility in charging – the vehicle can use any 15 amp socket for home charging, as well as it has the flexibility to use public fast charging stations designed for cars, which eliminates the need for setting up specific charging infrastructure for this vehicle.
Also Read: Auto Expo 2023: Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV launched at Rs 44.95 lakh
The company is currently using Li-ion technology for its batteries and has an assembly facility within its factory to assemble them. Through the government’s Advanced Cell Chemistry Performance Linked Incentive (ACC PLI) scheme many players are expanding their cell manufacturing capabilities.
Babu says there is a need for more private players in the small format feeder bus segment, where EVs will play a large role in last-mile connectivity.
Here’s more from the conversation with Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility in the video:
