INDIA
Switch is working with Indian transport technology company Chalo to deploy 5,000 electric buses across India. This partnership, which represents one of the largest commitments for electric buses worldwide, builds on Switch’s order book covering three continents with established operators in India, continental Europe and the United Kingdom. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chalo has been signed for an initial period of three years and the buses will be deployed across districts and cities in India where Chalo operates.
Switch will supply variants of the recently launched EiV12. Switch Mobility CEO Andy Palmer said: “The signing of this MoU with Chalo firmly establishes Switch as one of the pre-eminent manufacturers of zero-emissions buses globally. Our engineering expertise across the UK, Europe and India and new product range across all three of our key markets leaves us well positioned to continue to grow our order bank and meet the challenges authorities and operators face in decarbonising their bus network.”
Mahesh Babu, CEO of Switch Mobility India and COO of Switch Mobility, said: “The changing mobility landscape in India is significantly altering the way people travel within cities. Given our vision to accelerate the adoption of clean, sustainable electric transport solutions, we are delighted to partner with Chalo for a first of its kind partnership in this space. We aim to transform the urban mobility in the country by leveraging Chalo’s strong customer connection and operational expertise along with our technologically advanced electric vehicle products. This significant partnership of 5,000 electric buses, will certainly open up access to affordable, comfortable, hassle-free and environmentally friendly transport solutions, while enhancing the overall customer experience.’’
Mohit Dubey, co-founder and CEO of Chalo, said: “Buses make up for 48% of India’s daily travel, and yet we have just three buses for every 10,000 people. Growing bus fleets and providing high-quality buses are key to achieving Chalo’s purpose of making travel better for everyone. Last year we finalised a project to add 1,000 new buses in three of our cities. Today, we are glad to partner with Switch on a scale that is five times larger. The travel experience in these buses will be at par with global cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. We are confident that this collaboration will propel our collective journey towards building sustainable cities.”
Under the partnership, Switch and Chalo will jointly invest to deploy electric buses in cities where Chalo operates. Chalo will deploy its consumer technology solutions such as its app and Chalo Card, offering features such as live bus tracking, digital tickets, and travel plans, and also determine routes, frequency, schedules, and fares. Switch’s responsibilities will include the supply and maintenance of the state-of-the-art electric buses.
Established in 2014, Chalo has operations in 40 cities and has partnered with more than 2,500 bus operators to deploy its technology platform. In July 2022, it facilitated around 120 million rides via its platform.
