Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL), the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, has renamed U.K. arm Optare Group as Switch Mobility Ltd., as part of its drive towards electrification and new mobility services. It would be positioned as the global arm of ALL focussed on EVs and green mobility.
Besides, it will create a foundation for the expansion of Switch’s operations in Europe and growth in India and other parts of the world, said ALL in a statement.
Unveiling the new logo and name ALL chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said: “Optare is adopting a new identity and logo as Switch, which signals our strategic ambitions in Electric and Green Mobility. Towards this, ALL is examining various options to bring the entire EV initiatives of Ashok Leyland under Switch Mobility Ltd.”
Switch will build on the success of Optare in the U.K., where it is a leading player in electric buses with more than 150 of them currently operating successfully in its home market.
“This proposed step will enable Ashok Leyland to focus on the development of new electric vehicle platforms through Switch including next-generation buses, PODs and E-LCVs and swiftly scale up the EV business,” said Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO.
Meanwhile, Hitachi ABB Power Grids in India teamed up with ALL and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) for an e-mobility pilot. The triumvirate will run an e-bus pilot in IITM campus.
ALL will provide the e-bus that will incorporate Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ flash-charging technology. IITM will host the infrastructure required to operate the e-bus.
