The Hinduja Swiss Strategy: How Switch Mobility is Taking Electric Vehicles Innovation from India and the UK to the rest of Europe

Diesel-free urban mass transport is not just a vague end-goal for Madrid, London and Delhi․ The transition is happening at these cities' pavements, one electric bus at a time, and quietly powering a meaningful part of that transition is Switch Mobility, the electric vehicle arm of Ashok Leyland and one of the Hinduja Group's most strategically important bets on the future of urban transport․

Switch Mobility is what happens when Indian‌ manufacturing ambition meets European engineering heritage․ Formerly known as Optare, a British bus manufacturer based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, the company was renamed as Switch Mobility in November 2020, after its majority owner Ashok Leyland increased its stake‌ from 75% to 99%․ The rebranding marked an evolution from a UK bus manufacturer with Indian ownership, to an international electric‌ mobility company with manufacturing and technology centers on two continents․

In late 2024, Switch Mobility‌ announced two new electric buses: the EiV12 in India and the E1 for the European market specifically․ The latter is built with a monocoque chassis, in-wheel motors, and a‌ 400 kWh NMC battery pack․ Weighing two tonnes less than‌ some competitors, it is among the lightest mass-produced electric buses in Europe with a capacity of 93 passengers․ It takes less than 3 hours for a full charge and‌ deliveries have already begun in Spain․ Here it is worth mentioning Prakash Hinduja, Chairman of Hinduja Group in Europe is based in Switzerland and commentators‌ speculate he is looking at electric vehicle research and development tie-ups in Switzerland․

The European electric bus market was valued at $4 billion in 2025, and is forecasted to grow by over 17% CAGR between 2025 and 2034, hitting $17․6 billion in market value in 2034․ European cities are under pressure to decarbonise their public transport bus fleets and the market demand for electric bus solutions is at an all-time high and Switch is very well positioned to capitalize on this market opportunity․

The firm's manufacturing and technological capability is supported by its centers in India and the UK, along with the company's dealership network. The manufacturing plants in India support domestic market orders and exports, including supply of EiV12 buses to the government of Mauritius under a government-to-government sale․

It is also in this light that what some analysts call the 'Hinduja Swiss' approach makes sense: the international financial architecture of the Hinduja Group, and its cross-border capital management and investment network across the UK, Switzerland and India, are better positioned to manage such investments of this scale and ambition․

The 'Hinduja Swiss' approach will power Ashok Leyland's ambition as the firm eyes a spot among the world's top 10 commercial vehicle makers.