Ashok Leyland’s ‘Circuit’ Series Is First Electric Bus Made in India

March 1, 2017

Jennifer Shuttleworth

Ashok Leyland’s first Circuit electric bus is designed and engineered entirely in India, by Indians, for India, the company said in a recent product announcement. In line with Ashok Leyland's vision for the future of mass mobility, the country’s first ‘Made in India’ 100% electric bus, launched last fall, is a zero-emission vehicle created by the company specifically for Indian road and load conditions. The new Circuit range of vehicles will be offered on multiple platforms.

“The Circuit series of buses is another testament to Ashok Leyland’s commitment to leverage India’s technological innovation to deliver relevant and best-in-class solutions for India and the world,” said Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland. “In April 2015, at the FAME Delhi workshop, we had committed to vehicles with full-electric powertrains by January 2017. I am happy to dedicate the first vehicle in this new Circuit series, ahead of schedule. As a world leader in public transport, we can proudly say that we have created a product that will enhance the environment in the cities—this is in keeping with Ashok Leyland's philosophy of ‘Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet.’”

“The Circuit series vehicles are all exclusively engineered on India-specific platforms that can tackle varied topography, gradients and usage conditions,” said T. Venkataraman, Senior Vice President—Global Business. “Integrated with a fire detection and suppression system (FDSS), this truly Indian innovation can travel 120 kilometers (in what the company called "standard test conditions") on a single charge. It is built on a simple, mass-market platform that will enable the operator to cater to customers in city centers with minimal operational and maintenance costs.”

Additional details about the Circuit electric bus: an alert system to help the driver identify when the bus is running low on battery charge (the company claimed there will be sufficient charging points installed at bus depots to charge the new electric models); the Circuit is propelled by an AC motor with a dedicated controller and power-electronics components and lithium-ion batteries store the necessary electrical charge.