Indian electric commercial vehicle solutions provider Energy In Motion (EIM) has secured a contract to deploy 66 electric heavy-duty trucks, partnering with Transvolt Mobility to support port logistics operations.
Under the agreement, EIM will supply its 55-tonne electric tractor, Ashwa, which is based on technology from Foton. The trucks will be deployed at Kandla Port in Gujarat and Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra, where they will be used to transport cargo containers within port premises.
Transvolt Mobility said the deployment marks its first electric vehicle project in port operations. The shift to electric trucks is expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 3,300 tonnes annually.
EIM plans to deliver the full fleet by next month and will also provide battery swapping and charging infrastructure to support operations.
The Ashwa truck, a rebadged version of Foton’s eAuman, features a battery-swapping system using a 282 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack. The system allows battery replacement in under seven minutes, enabling continuous operation in high-utilisation environments such as ports. The model was certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) as the first battery-swappable 55-tonne electric tractor in the country.
To support deployment, EIM is expanding its battery-swapping network. The company operated two stations last year, completing 4,122 battery swaps, and plans to increase the number to 10 stations by the end of this month.
Narendra Murkumbi, Managing Director of EIM and Vice Chairman of Ravindra Energy, said the project validates the company’s business model. “This order is further validation of the EIM approach to solving the entire EV challenge in heavy commercial vehicles by selling vehicles without battery pack and offering a charging service with swappable batteries,” he said.
EIM holds exclusive rights to assemble, market and distribute Foton’s commercial vehicles above 18 tonnes in India for six years. The company also plans to establish an electric truck manufacturing facility in Talegaon, Maharashtra, with an investment of 10.65 billion rupees (around €97 million), although timelines for the project have not yet been disclosed.