Ashok Leyland is establishing a new manufacturing line at its Hosur plant to produce medium and heavy electric trucks, with an initial annual capacity of 5,000 units.
This decision follows the securing of India’s largest e-truck order from Billion Electric Mobility, involving the delivery of 180 electric trucks. The leading truck and bus manufacturer is also in talks with various companies to secure additional orders, signalling a growing interest in battery-powered vehicles in the big truck segment.
Deliveries begin
On Monday, Ashok Leyland began deliveries from the ₹150 crore order from Billion Electric Mobility, which includes 135 Boss electric intermediate commercial vehicles (ICVs) and 45 Avtr 55-ton electric tractors. “This is likely one of the largest single orders for electric trucks in India,” said Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO of Ashok Leyland.
The Boss trucks, with a payload capacity of 7 to 10 tonnes, offer a range of over 200 km, while the Avtr 55-ton electric tractors are powered by a 300-kWh battery pack and a 220-kW motor.
The range is flexible, depending on battery size, and the modular design of Boss allows for battery capacity adjustments. Ashok Leyland collaborates closely with customers to customise the truck’s specifications based on usage requirements.
Agarwal also confirmed that the company is setting up a dedicated electric truck assembly line at its Hosur facility, which will also produce alternative fuel trucks.
The line is expected to be operational by Q4 of this fiscal year, with an initial capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year, scalable based on demand. Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland’s EV arm, currently produces small electric commercial vehicles at the Hosur plant.
Billion Electric Mobility, part of Group BillionE and an e-mobility-as-a-service provider in partnership with group company ChargeZone will deploy Ashok Leyland’s electric trucks for intercity logistics, starting with routes between Bangalore and Chennai.
“The focus is on intercity logistics, not just last-mile deliveries. Our Boss 14-ton and 19-ton electric trucks will serve routes like Bengaluru-Pune, Ahmedabad-Mumbai, and Chennai-Vijayawada. We plan to expand these routes and set up charging infrastructure along highways to support fleet operators,” said Kartikeyan Hariyani, Founder & CEO of Billion E-Mobility & ChargeZone.
Supercharging stations
ChargeZone is setting up supercharging stations every 100-150 km, with stations already operational on routes such as Bengaluru-Chennai and Hyderabad-Vijayawada.
These stations offer 180-240 kW supercharging, vital for commercial EVs. ChargeZone currently operates 1,500 charging stations across India and plans to establish 500 more supercharging stations over the next four years.
Billion’s customers include major FMCG, speciality chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. While cost savings are not the primary objective now, these companies are focused on decarbonizing their operations.
With the gradual decline in EV and battery costs, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is improving, with EVs approaching cost parity with diesel on a per-kilometre basis, added Hariyani.
Hydrogen-powered ICE trucks
Meanwhile, Ashok Leyland is progressing with its hydrogen-powered ICE trucks in collaboration with Reliance. “We have 26 vehicles currently in trials. The development is advancing well, and we expect a commercial rollout in 18 to 24 months, as we finalize safety protocols, including those related to refuelling and servicing,” said Dr N Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer of Ashok Leyland.