Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland today launched its first electric bus, Circuit- S, aiming to tap opportunities in smart solutions for public transport. Circuit-S has a seating capacity of 25 to 35.
It has partnered Sun Mobility, which would provide swappable smart battery solutions through its kiosks. "This idea has the power to change the way our public transport system works. Circuit-S would cost lesser and require minimal maintenance," said Ashok Leyland Managing Director Vinod K Dasari. The company plans to tap the opportunities arising from the government's Smart City Mission, city and municipal authorities and private organisations. "We would participate in all 11 cities identified under the Smart City Mission by the government," Dasari said. These buses would be commercially available in next 3 to 6 months, he added. However, Desari did not share the price of Circuit-S. When asked about the investment, he said the company has so far invested around Rs 100 crore on its electric vehicle programme including Circuit-S. Sun Mobility has plans to build a network of quick interchange stations, which can ready a bus by swapping a battery in five minutes. "One kiosk can swap 400 batteries in a day," said Sun Mobility co-founder and Vice Chairman Chetan Maini. He further said the upfront cost of bus is drastically reduced to be at par with traditional diesel bus by separating the battery. Its batteries are small and one-fourth of the weight of regular Li-on battery. Established in April 2017, Sun Mobility is a 50:50 joint venture of Viraya Mobility 5.0 and Sun New Energy System.
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