Switch Mobility Ltd (‘Switch’), the next-generation carbon neutral electric bus and light commercial vehicle company, has partnered with JSW to introduce electric buses for employee transportation in India. This is the first significant and largest electric bus order in the country for employee transportation, with 71 buses being delivered to JSW Steel, for their Vijayanagar plant. Switch Mobility will own and oversee entire operations including setting-up of charging infrastructure and requisite maintenance efficacy, over a 12-year contract period. The first set of electric buses were flagged-off by Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director – JSW Group of companies and Mahesh Babu, Global CEO – Switch Mobility Ltd.
Mahesh Babu, Global CEO – Switch Mobility Ltd, said, “The private bus market in India, is one of the key transportation markets in the country constituting 70% market share, of which the private electric bus market is expected to be valued at ₹60 billion in the next five years. With the positive reception to Switch EiV 12, we are glad to enter the employee transportation space and be a part of the sustainable journey with JSW Steel. This partnership with JSW is an important milestone for Switch Mobility, as we deliver our first and largest private bus order in the country. I would like to thank the management of JSW for their trust in our Switch products. We are in talks with more corporates across the country who are showing keen interest to join hands in this sustainable journey’’.
The air-conditioned buses include SWITCH EiV 12 which features customer-centric offerings on technology and employee comfort, while being contemporary and futuristic. Switch EiV 12 is embedded with proprietary, connected technology solutions, ‘Switch iON’, enabling remote, real-time diagnostics and monitoring services, as well as world-class digital battery management tools. The EV architecture of EiV platform is common with the European Switch e1 bus.
The buses are also equipped with a new generation of highly efficient, modular batteries with advanced lithium-ion NMC chemistry, specially formulated for the Indian market and climatic conditions. The electric drivetrains and batteries are calibrated to ensure superior efficiency with long battery life, delivering lower total cost of ownership in the market.
To ensure effective operations and services of these electric buses, Switch is expanding its team and recruiting 200 personnel, in line with its growth plans of increasing manpower by 30% over the next five years.
