Ashok Leyland To Launch Four-Wheeled Electric SCVs Soon to Take On Tata Ace EV

Tata Motors might be the only electric four-wheeled small commercial vehicle (SCV) maker in India, but that is set to change soon as Ashok Leyland plans on producing electric SCVs based on the Dost and Bada Dost range, at its Hosur LCV facility.

Ashok Leyland will manufacture its upcoming electric small commercial vehicles (e-SCV) at its light commercial vehicle (LCV) production facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The company will launch two new electric trucks based on the Dost and Bada Dost range soon.

Ashok Leyland is also closely working with its subsidiary brand, Switch Mobility, to sell the upcoming electric vehicles. The truckmaker plans to assemble the vehicles at the LCV production facility and market them under the Switch Mobility brand. Ashok Leyland is confident that it is well-prepared to meet the demand for its upcoming electric vehicles.

Ashok Leyland Comments:

“The new electric small truck will come from our existing LCV line and the assembly line is getting aligned for the production of such products,” Ganesh Mani, President & Chief of Operations, Ashok Leyland told Businessline at the all-women LCV engine assembly line, housed at the Hosur factory.

“We want to be a full range player in the LCV category and going forward we will bring out products in new and existing segments both in intermediate commercial vehicle (ICV) and electric variants,” he added.

Ashok Leyland’s Key Focus:

While Ashok Leyland is set to launch new electric vehicles, its main focus will be to introduce a fresh line-up of models in the internal combustion engine (ICE) segment and in the alternative fuel vehicle segment.

Further, the brand claims that the majority of the demand comes from its modular vehicle platform - “AVTR”. Therefore, it plans on strengthening the AVTR model manufacturing operations across its northern and southern production facilities.

Top 3 Ashok Leyland Diesel SCVs In India:

Although Ashok Leyland is yet to launch electric four-wheeled SCVs in India, it currently has an excellent range of diesel-powered SCVs. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Ashok Leyland Dost Strong: The Dost Strong comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine which delivers 59.1hp at 3300rpm and 158Nm at around 1600-2400rpm. It gets a 5-speed manual gearbox and has a gross vehicle weight rating of 2590kg. The truck has a payload capacity of 1375kg and can reach speeds of up to 80kmph. 

Ashok Leyland Bada Dost i2: The Bada Dost i2 gets a 1.5-litre diesel engine which can churn out 69.7hp at 3300rpm and 190Nm at around 1600-2400rpm. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of 2880kg. It comes with a payload of 1425kg and has a top speed of 80kmph. 

Ashok Leyland Dost Plus: The Dost Plus has a 1.5-litre diesel engine which can produce 70hp at 3300rpm and 170Nm at around 1600-2400rpm. This engine is linked to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The truck has a gross vehicle weight of 2805kg and a rated payload of 1500kg. 

Electric SCVs In India:

At present, Tata Motors is the only manufacturer in India selling an electric, four-wheeled small commercial vehicle in the country. It is none other than the Tata Ace EV, available at a starting price of Rs. 9.21 lakh (ex-showroom).

In terms of specifications, the Tata Ace EV has a 21.3kWh lithium-ion iron phosphate (LFP) battery and an AC Induction motor which generates 36.2hp and 130Nm. The vehicle produces a certified range of 154km/full charge.

The Ace EV also takes around 6-7 hours to charge from 20 percent to 100 percent in regular charging mode and around 1.75 hours to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in fast charging mode. It even comes with regenerative braking which captures the kinetic energy from braking and converts it into the electrical power that charges the vehicle's battery.

Furthermore, the vehicle comes with a gross vehicle rating of 1840kg, a payload of 600kg and a gradability rating of 22 percent.

Other Electric SCVs In India:

In addition to Tata Motors and now Ashok Leyland, another noteworthy player in the electric small commercial vehicle segment is OSM. The company launched the M1KA 1.0, its latest zero-emission electric four-wheeled small commercial vehicle with a range of 200km, at the AutoExpo 2023. However, the vehicle is currently only available on a leasing basis.

Nonetheless, the launch of the electric SCV based on the Ashok Leyland Dost and Bada Dost range is much anticipated and may even take the market by storm once the zero-emission vehicles are launched.