· First-of-a-kind strategic collaboration between Switch Mobility and Chalo for deployment of 5,000 state-of-the-art electric buses across India.
· The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for an initial period of three years.
· The buses will be deployed across metros and other cities that Chalo is present in.
Chennai, NFAPost: Switch Mobility Ltd. (‘Switch’), the next-generation carbon neutral electric bus and light commercial vehicle company and Chalo, India’s leading transport technology company, today announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration for the deployment of 5,000 state-of-the-art electric buses across India.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for an initial period of three years. The buses will be deployed across metros and other cities, which includes the initial deployment of variants of Switch EiV 12.
Switch Mobility India CEO and Switch Mobility Ltd COO Mahesh Babu said the changing mobility landscape in India is significantly altering the way people travel within cities.
“Given our vision to accelerate the adoption of clean, sustainable electric transportation solutions, we are delighted to partner with Chalo for a first of its kind partnership in this space,” said Switch Mobility India CEO and Switch Mobility Ltd COO Mahesh Babu.
He also said the company aims to transform the urban mobility in the country by leveraging Chalo’s strong customer connect and operational expertise along with its technologically advanced electric vehicle products.
“This significant partnership of 5000 electric buses, will certainly open up access to affordable, comfortable, hassle-free and environmentally friendly transport solutions, while enhancing the overall customer experience,” said Switch Mobility India CEO and Switch Mobility Ltd COO Mahesh Babu.
Chalo Cofounder & CEO Mohit Dubey said buses make up for 48% of India’s daily travel, and yet Indians have just 3 buses for 10,000 people.
“Growing bus fleets and providing high-quality buses are key to achieving Chalo’s purpose of making travel better for everyone. Last year we finalised a project to add 1,000 new buses in three of our cities. Today, we are glad to partner with Switch on a scale that is 5x larger,” said Chalo Cofounder & CEO Mohit Dubey.
He said the travel experience in these buses will be at par with global cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. “We are confident that this collaboration will propel our collective journey towards building sustainable cities,” said Chalo Cofounder & CEO Mohit Dubey.
Under this partnership, Switch and Chalo will jointly invest to deploy electric buses in cities where Chalo is present. Chalo will deploy its consumer technology solutions such as the Chalo App and the Chalo Card, offering conveniences such as live bus tracking, digital tickets, and travel plans; and also determine routes, frequency, schedules, and fares. Switch’s responsibilities include the supply and maintenance of the state-of-the-art electric buses.
About Switch Mobility
Switch Mobility is a next-generation electric bus and light commercial vehicle company with the mission to enrich lives through green mobility. A mature start up, Switch was forged from the innovative EV elements of Ashok Leyland, the fourth largest bus OEM in the world, and Optare, the UK bus manufacturer with over a century of expertise in using the latest technologies in bus design. In 2014, Switch (then Optare) introduced the first British built, pure electric buses to London’s roads and since then has put 300 EVs on the road, clocking up over 30 million electric miles in developed and developing markets.
With dedicated teams at our sites in Leeds, UK and Chennai, India, as a Group, our market-leading vehicles are sold in over 46 countries around the globe and combine the best of British and Indian design, technology and engineering to create unique products. Capitalising on our demonstrable experience and proven expertise in light weight architecture, net zero carbon technologies, data analytics, software and customer service, Switch Mobility aims to be the commercial EV provider and employer of choice in the industry. Through its subsidiary OHM, Switch also offers a range of eMaas services, supporting communities in their transition to a zero emission transport network.
About Chalo
Chalo is India’s leading transport technology company with operations in 40 cities. It was established in 2014 with the core purpose of making travel better for everyone. The Chalo App provides live tracking of over 15,000 buses, and is India’s #1 bus tracking app. The Chalo Card, a contactless tap-to-pay travel card, is India’s most successful bus travel card. It is available both as a bus card as well as a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). Chalo also offers Super Saver travel plans on the Chalo App and the Chalo Card that help bus passengers save money on their bus travel.
Chalo has partnered with more than 2,500 bus operators to deploy its technology platform and improve the bus travel experience. In July 2022, Chalo powered 120 million rides on its platform.
