Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle arm, has confirmed its plan to invest £300m across the UK and India in the development of electric buses and light commercial vehicles.
The investment is part of Switch’s strategic goal to become a leader in zero-carbon public and commercial transportation. In addition, more than 4,000 skilled jobs are to be created, it said in a statement.
Coinciding with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit, Switch unveiled the new 12-metre electric bus for India and announced a new technical center in the UK.
“With a strong order book of almost 600 buses and ambitious investment plans already in place, we believe we are well positioned to benefit from this growth. The new 12-metre bus has been specially developed with the needs of the Indian market in mind and offers a range of up to 300 km,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Switch Mobility.
Led by CTO Roger Blakey, the new technical center is expected to create more than 130 skilled jobs. It will focus on developing next-generation vehicles. The center will work closely with Switch’s existing R&D offices in Chennai, Leeds and Valladolid and employ an additional 200 engineers.
