Driving the Swappable Battery Charging Haulage

India's electric trucking journey is now about uptime, lower running costs, and a ready support network as much as power and performance parity, writes Upendra Kasbekar.

- Upendrakasbekar

The silence inside a heavy-duty truck's cabin is usually an unfamiliar experience, but not in Blue Energy Motor's latest innovation, the BE 5548e electric tractor-trailer.

Within the controlled environment of the company's Chakan facility, the 55-tonne horse moved with a quiet authority that felt more like an electric SUV than a conventional haulier. The initial pull-off was remarkably smooth, a clear testament to the 2400 Nm torque output from its Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) motor. Built on Blue Energy's proprietary Blue Energy Advanced Technology (BEAT) architecture and powered by the company's first swappable Module-to-Bracket (M2B) battery technology, the BE 5548e aims to redefine the equation between uptime and sustainability in heavy freight logistics. It marks the transition of Blue Energy Motors from its equally novel rollout of the LNG haulage solution. Anirudh Bhuwalka, Founder and Managing Director of Blue Energy Motors, remarked, "We believe this is the beginning of the EV revolution in India for heavy-duty trucks. Our electric truck delivers unlimited range through battery swapping, the highest payload in its category and advanced mobility intelligence for fleet reliability."

The BE 5548e is claimed to be India's first 55-tonne electric tractor-trailer equipped with modular, swappable batteries designed for continuous operation under the company's "Energy-as-a-Service" (EaaS) model. It is powered by a 480 hp PMSM producing 2400 Nm of torque. This peak torque is realised through a four-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). The setup enables a claimed 0-30 kmph acceleration in under four seconds, while supporting a Gross Combination Weight (GCW) of 55-tonne when coupled with a tri-axle trailer.