Blue Energy Motors MD claims that battery switching will hasten the introduction of EVs in heavy-duty trucks. Because purchasing an e-truck is three times more expensive than purchasing a diesel powered truck, electrifying heavy-duty trucks in India is still a difficult task. With a subscription approach, Blue Energy Motors, which introduced India’s first electric vehicle with an energy-as-a-service offering, hopes to upend this.
With support from Nithin Kamath, Italy’s Iveco Group, and Essar, the Pune-based carmaker is trying to electrify heavy-duty trucks, one of the most difficult automotive markets. The capital cost is the big issue. We are able to disconnect the truck from the battery thanks to the battery exchange. It is now possible to sell the truck without the battery. According to Anirudh Bhuwalka, founder and managing director of Blue Energy Motors, “the truck’s capital cost drops by half, becoming nearly equal to diesel,” he tells Business Today. “EV adoption will accelerate with battery swapping.” You’ll have to wait and see how these networks change as technology advances. He claims that switching to electricity is the only option.
High Upfront Cost and Range Anxiety Slow EV Adoption
Electric trucks have a threefold higher capital cost than diesel trucks. Spending ₹1 crore on a truck is difficult in a nation like India because it is not a lifestyle item, according to Bhuwalka. He adds that trucks take longer to charge and that range anxiety is an even greater issue. It makes sense that the introduction of EVs in electric trucks is moving slowly. About 300 of the 40 lakh heavy-duty trucks that are used on Indian highways are electric.
According to Shenu Aggarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Ashok Leyland, one option for electrifying heavy-duty vehicles is battery switching. The customer’s concerns about increased upfront costs and range can be addressed in a number of ways. In China, battery changing is quite common. We at Ashok Leyland are attempting to investigate every possibility. In order to determine which solutions are ideal for Indian clients, we will conduct some pilots at the appropriate time,” he stated.
Eicher Motors Also Exploring Battery Swapping
Eicher Motors is also investigating the viability of replacing heavy-duty truck batteries. One of the possibilities under consideration is battery changing. Vinod Aggarwal, Managing Director and CEO of VECommercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, stated that several businesses are working on it.
There are four million medium- and heavy-duty trucks in India. According to Bhuwalka, this number is predicted to increase to 8 million automobiles over the next ten years, and CO2 emissions are also predicted to double. According to Bhuwalka, “people don’t realise that trucks contribute almost 44% of the automotive pollution, and nobody talks about trucks going electric.”
By the end of March 2026, Blue Energy Motors anticipates selling 100 electric trucks. In the next three years, we want to sell 30,000 e-trucks. We have made a $50 million investment. We’re considering increasing capacity and switch stations,” Bhuwalka says. Additionally, two battery exchange stations have been established in Maharashtra by Blue Energy Motors. According to Bhuwalka, “the battery is changed in five minutes as the truck rolls into a battery swap station.”
Company Background and LNG Strategy
Blue Energy Motors was founded in September 2022 and initially concentrated on LNG trucks. “We developed two strategies to address the trucking industry’s decarbonisation issue. First, LNG was introduced. LNG is liquefied at -125 degrees, whereas CNG is held at atmospheric pressure. The gas turns into a liquid when it cools. The concept is to bundle more gas in it by cooling it. Long-distance routes, like the one from Mumbai to Delhi, require more fuel. Thus, we developed an LNG long-haul trucking strategy,” Bhuwalka explains.
Approximately two million of India’s four million medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are utilised for long-distance transportation. Last year, we sold roughly 300 LNG trucks. We want to sell 900 LNG trucks in FY26,” Bhuwalka stated. To be clear, India has just 28 LNG stations.
