- World’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution debuts on Tata Starbus EV platform, promising energy replenishment in under five minutes
- Made-in-India breakthrough aims to decarburise the country’s USD 12-billion commercial bus market while eliminating charging downtime and range anxiety
- Game-changing Battery-as-a-Service model lowers vehicle acquisition costs, boosts fleet profitability and accelerates mass adoption of electric buses and trucks
- SUN Mobility says one intelligent battery-swapping architecture can seamlessly power city buses, staff transport, intercity coaches and heavy commercial vehicles
- Innovation unveiled at Prawaas 5.0 positions India at the forefront of next-generation global electric mobility and energy infrastructure
NE AUTOMOBILE BUREAU
GANDHINAGAR, JULY 9
In a breakthrough that could redefine the future of commercial electric mobility worldwide, SUN Mobility Heavy Electric Vehicles (HEV) has unveiled the world’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution integrated with the Tata Starbus 12-metre EV platform, opening the door to rapid, scalable and economically viable electrification of buses and heavy commercial vehicles.
Showcased at Prawaas 5.0, India’s largest bus and mobility exhibition, the pioneering Made-in-India technology enables operators to replenish energy by swapping multiple battery packs in less than five minutes, virtually eliminating charging downtime while dramatically improving fleet productivity and profitability.
The innovation is expected to play a transformative role in decarbonising India’s USD 12-billion commercial bus market, where governments and fleet operators are rapidly accelerating the transition towards zero-emission transportation.
The landmark technology was inaugurated by Amrendra Singh Kishore (IOFS), Director, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, in the presence of Anand S, Vice President and Business Head, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles; T V Srinivas, Head – Product Planning, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles; Chetan Maini, Co-founder and Chairman, SUN Mobility; and Ashok Agarwal, CEO, SUN Mobility HEV Business.
Describing the significance of the launch, Ashok Agarwal, CEO, SUN Mobility HEV Business, said, “The next phase of electrification will not be defined solely by vehicles, but by the energy ecosystems that power them.”
He added, “Our showcase of the world’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution on the Tata Starbus EV platform demonstrates how one battery swapping platform can serve staff, city transit and intercity fleets alike, without compromising on affordability or operational reliability. We see this as a real step towards mass adoption of EVs in commercial transportation.”
Highlighting the company’s long-term vision, Chetan Maini, Co-founder and Chairman, SUN Mobility, said, “When we founded SUN Mobility, our vision was to make electric mobility as convenient, scalable and economically viable as conventional transport by reimagining energy infrastructure.”
Calling the launch a watershed moment, he said, “The unveiling of the world’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution demonstrated with Tata Starbus EV at Prawaas 5.0 marks a defining milestone in that journey.”
Maini further added, “We believe the modular multi-battery swapping solution has the potential to unlock large-scale electrification across the commercial vehicle ecosystem by delivering a cost-effective and operationally efficient energy solution for diverse applications.”
Emphasising India’s global opportunity, he said, “As India accelerates its transition to clean mobility, technologies designed and built here can not only transform commercial transportation at home but also position India as a global leader in next-generation electric mobility solutions.”
A Global First in Commercial EV Energy Infrastructure
At the heart of the innovation is an AIS-038-certified Modular Multi-Battery Swappable architecture capable of simultaneously replacing two battery packs in under five minutes.
Unlike conventional charging systems, the platform enables operators to keep vehicles on the road for longer periods while significantly reducing idle time.
The same modular architecture supports 100 kWh and 50 kWh battery configurations and can be deployed across commercial vehicles ranging from 3-tonne trucks to 55-tonne heavy-duty vehicles, including buses measuring 7 to 13.5 metres.
Battery Ownership No Longer a Barrier
A major differentiator is SUN Mobility’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) business model, under which fleet operators purchase the vehicle without the battery and pay only for the energy consumed.
This innovative model substantially reduces upfront acquisition costs, removes concerns over battery degradation and replacement, simplifies financing and makes electric commercial vehicles economically comparable with conventional diesel-powered fleets.
One Intelligent Platform, Endless Possibilities
The common battery, vehicle and swap station architecture enables seamless deployment across city buses, employee transportation, intercity coaches and heavy trucks without redesigning the energy ecosystem.
Each vehicle operates as a connected digital asset, continuously transmitting battery health, vehicle location, driver behaviour, predictive maintenance alerts and energy consumption data through SUN Mobility’s cloud-based intelligent network.
The company’s proprietary Digital Twin platform further enhances operational efficiency by enabling predictive battery analytics, remote diagnostics, optimised battery scheduling and real-time carbon accounting.
Made in India, Ready for the World
Built entirely on indigenous research backed by more than 275 in-house patents, the Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution reflects India’s growing technological leadership in clean mobility and advanced energy infrastructure.
Building on SUN Mobility’s proven success in electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles, the Heavy Electric Vehicles platform extends battery-swapping technology to buses and trucks on an unprecedented scale.
As India intensifies its clean transportation mission under initiatives such as PM E-Drive and expanding state procurement programmes, SUN Mobility’s revolutionary energy ecosystem has the potential to become a global benchmark for rapid, affordable and scalable commercial vehicle electrification.
