The company has its own team working on electric vehicles (EVs) but the segment is a new area and there are many changes happening in this space.
Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland may look at partnerships in electric vehicles segment in the future in a bid to cut huge costs involved in developing new technologies in this space.
In the traditional internal combustion engine segment, the Hinduja group flagship firm, however, would like to go on in its own, having built a strong portfolio of engines over the years.
Betting strong on EV
Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja told PTI that the company has its own team working on electric vehicles (EVs) but the segment is a new area and there are many changes happening in this space. One of the foremost reasons for keeping the option open for collaboration in the EV segment is to keep development costs under control, he added.
Last year, the company had bagged its first major electric bus order for the supply of 50 buses to the Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System. Hinduja said the company already has the electric bus on the ground and is now making efforts to develop a new range of such buses as well.
Hinduja further said that Ashok Leyland had a relationship with Iveco for 19 years and that point in time they also got an opportunity to work with a global OEM, but the company wanted to make sure that not only Ashok Leyland build self-reliance in technology but is focussed on products that are really suitable for the Indian market.
