Following the successful delivery of 30 electric double decker buses to Metroline in London, the company is currently fulfilling orders for operators including Tower Transit, London and First York.
Ashok Leyland is renaming Optare Group – its majority-owned UK subsidiary – as Switch Mobility Ltd. (“Switch”) as part of its drive towards electrification and new mobility services. Unveiling the new logo and name, Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland, said: “Optare is adopting a new identity and logo as “Switch”, which signals our strategic ambitions in electric and green mobility. Towards this, Ashok Leyland is examining various options to bring the entire EV initiatives of Ashok Leyland under Switch Mobility Ltd. This strategy reflects the clear growth opportunities in the global LCV &Bus EV market, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 25% and to be worth in the region of $ 50 bn by 2030. To capture part of that market, we are considering EV initiatives through Switch that could include financial participation and strategic tie-ups.”
Switch will build on the success of Optare in the UK, where it is a leading player in electric buses with more than 150 of them currently operating successfully in its home market. Optare was recently named OEM of the Year (Bus/Commercial Vehicle) at the prestigious 2020 EVIEs Awards. Following the successful delivery of 30 electric double decker buses to Metroline in London, the company is currently fulfilling orders for operators including Tower Transit, London and First York. This will create a foundation for the expansion of Switch’s operations in Europe and growth in India and other parts of the world.
Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said: “Ashok Leyland is a pioneer in delivering innovative commercial vehicles and mobility solutions. With our proposed new structure, Switch will be positioned to become the potential global arm of Ashok Leyland focused on electric vehicles and green mobility solutions. “This proposed step will enable Ashok Leyland to focus on the development of new electric vehicle platforms through Switch including next-generation Buses, PODs and E-LCVs and swiftly scale up the EV business.”
Dr. Andrew C. Palmer, Chairman of Optare plc, commented: “Optare plc has a well-deserved reputation for class-leading products and customer service. The reorganization of the Optare group both allows us to continue to serve customers with the portfolio of products we have today, whilst positioning Switch Mobility Ltd at the forefront of the commercial EV space, which should benefit the entire organization.”
