Switch Mobility and an EV unit of Ashok Leyland will collaborate with Chalo to deploy 5000 EV buses in India.

Switch Mobility, the next-generation carbon-neutral electric bus and light commercial vehicle firm, and Chalo, the transportation technology company, have formed a strategic partnership to deploy 5,000 cutting-edge electric buses across India.

This collaboration, one of the largest commitments for electric buses in the world, adds to Switch's already robust order book, which spans three continents and includes established operators in India, Continental Europe, and the United Kingdom.

The agreement with Chalo was inked for three years, and the buses would be deployed across regions and cities in India where Chalo operates. As part of the supply deal, Switch will provide variations of the recently announced EiV12 electric bus. The delivery and operation of these electric buses will aid India's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from public transportation. Switch Mobility is ideally positioned to address this demand due to its engineering experience and technology innovation from its production centres in India and the United Kingdom.

The EiV 12 has a range of up to 300km on a single charge and up to 500km with dual-gun fast charging, thanks to revolutionary lithium-ion NMC chemistry.

"The signing of this MoU with Chalo firmly confirms Switch as one of the preeminent makers of zero emissions buses globally, Our engineering expertise in the UK, Europe, and India, as well as our new product offerings in all three of our core regions, position us well to continue growing our order bank and meeting the challenges that authorities and operators confront in decarbonizing their bus network," stated Andy Palmer, CEO of Switch Mobility

"The shifting mobility landscape in India is dramatically impacting the way people commute inside cities given our goal of accelerating the adoption of clean, sustainable electric mobility solutions, we are thrilled to collaborate with Chalo on a first-of-its-kind collaboration in this arena. We intend to alter the country's urban mobility by leveraging Chalo's strong client connections and operational knowledge, as well as our technologically advanced electric vehicle products. This huge collaboration of 5000 electric buses will undoubtedly provide access to inexpensive, pleasant, hassle-free, and environmentally friendly transportation choices, while also improving overall customer experience," stated Mahesh Babu, CEO of Switch Mobility India and COO of Switch Mobility Ltd.

"Buses account for 48% of India's daily transport, but we only have three buses for 10,000 passengers growing bus fleets and offering high-quality buses are critical to accomplishing Chalo's goal of improving travel for everyone. We completed a project last year to deploy 1,000 new buses to three of our cities. Today, we are excited to collaborate with Switch on a 5x larger scale. The travel experience on these buses will be comparable to those of global cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. We are optimistic that this collaboration will accelerate our combined efforts to construct sustainable cities," said Mohit Dubey, co-founder and CEO of Chalo.

Switch and Chalo will collaborate to deliver electric buses in cities where Chalo have a presence. Chalo will roll out consumer technology solutions such as the Chalo App and the Chalo Card, which will provide conveniences such as live bus tracking, digital tickets, and travel itineraries, as well as decide routes, frequency, schedules, and pricing. Switch's duties include the provision and maintenance of cutting-edge electric buses.

The switch is a mature start-up formed by the unique EV aspects of Ashok Leyland, the world's fourth largest bus OEM, and Optare, the UK bus manufacturer with over a century of experience in employing the newest technologies in bus design.