Propelling Electric CVs

Ashok Leyland is drawing ambitious plans to climb up the electric CV ladder in India.

- Bhargav TS

From the time of unveiling the Circuit nine-meter electric bus in 2016, to the successful bagging of orders from two public transport undertakings in the country, Ashok Leyland has clocked a good deal of kilometres on the road to electric mobility. Gaining experience for every kilometer that it is travelling, the CV major is working on electric concepts. These include Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and buses. Through a strategic alliance with Sun Mobility, the company is drawing ambitious plans to climb up the electric CV ladder in India. Aligning the same in line with the big shifts that are taking place in the powertrain technologies as well as the market demand and customer preferences, Ashok Leyland is closely observing the shift. It, according to Dr. Seshu Bhagavathula, the Chief Technology Officer, is exploring new ways to design and develop electric CVs. Expressing an opinion that India has miles to go before a complete shift to e-mobility takes place, he mentioned that the lack of access to battery materials is one of the big challenges. This involves both, original or processed materials, he added. Of the opinion that China has lithium deposits, Dr. Seshu mentioned that it has secured a future for EVs for a minimum of 100 years.