Made-in-India Ashok Leyland Circuit electric bus unveiled

Ashok Leyland launches new Circuit electric bus range. First zero-emissions electric bus that's been designed and developed completely in India.

Ashok Leyland has unveiled a brand new series of electric buses for the Indian market. Dubbed the Circuit range, the new platform is designed and engineered indigenously, and will spawn a number of future electric bus models, says the company. The first product of this range was showcased at the launch of the Circuit range. As per Ashok Leyland, the new Circuit bus is the first ever electrified bus that’s been produced completely in India.

While Ashok Leyland has not divulged the exact specifications of the new 31 seater electric bus, the company claims that it will have a range of 120 kilometers on a single charge. The drivetrain is made up of lithium-ion batteries and the entire battery pack can be charged within 3 hours. The Circuit electric bus can reach up to a top speed of 75km/h. Among other highlights, the bus has an on-board fire detection and suppression system, on-board diagnostics, regenerative braking, USB mobile chargers for passengers, on-board Wi-Fi, etc.

Commenting on the development, Mr. T Venkataraman, Sr. Vice President – Global Bus, Ashok Leyland, said, “The Circuit series vehicles are all exclusively engineered on India-specific platforms that can tackle varied topography, gradients, and usage conditions. It is built on a simple, mass-market platform that will enable the operator to cater to customers in city centres with minimal operational and maintenance costs.” In addition to that, Mr Venkataraman also said that three more variants of the Circuit bus are currently in the pipeline, and they will be launched in the near future.

Earlier this year, Ashok Leyland managed to bag orders for 3,600 buses from different State Transport Undertakings in country. As per Mr Venkataraman, that number has now gone up by 900 units. However, the new Circuit range of buses will not be included in the current order. In the initial phase, the Circuit range of electric buses will be an ideal choice for operations including short intra-city commutes, heritage sightseeing, etc. The target customer, as a result, will mainly include fleet operators. The company is also planning to start exporting the new Circuit electric bus to neighbouring markets of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

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