Ashok Leyland electric and no-emission vehicles nearing commercialisation

Indian vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) says that its zero-emission and ethanol-powered commercial vehicle and bus models are nearing commercialisation. ALL’s Senior Vice President of Product Development, N. Saravanan, said that some of the prototypes would soon enter the validation phase of development.

“These models have been taken through the design and simulation phases already. Now, in a month’s time, some of them would begin the validation phase of development,” Saravanan said. He spoke at an event where several prototypes were showcased, including an electric 10-tonne Boss truck, an electric 10-tonne Midi Bus, an electric DOST LCV and an ethanol-powered version of DOST.

Commercialisation is the next step following validation. Saravanan says that commercialisation would take two years, but depends on whether the market is viable. While he says that the Indian market is not yet ready for electric buses, the company is optimistic about alternative fuel-run vehicles, especially in public transit.

Ashok Leyland Ltd. is a publicly listed vehicle manufacturer based in Chennai, India. It is the fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world.