Ashok Leyland reportedly to produce electric buses for Europe at UAE plant within 12 months

Indian manufacturer Ashok Leyland will start manufacturing electric buses for the European market at its Ras Al Khaimah plant in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) within the next 12 months, according to statements by Managing Director and CEO Shenu Agarwal reported on The New Indian Express.

This move would position the UAE facility as a production base for battery-electric buses targeting Europe.

In late December 2024 Switch Mobility announced the introduction of two new electric bus models, namely EiV12 and E1, the latter being headed to Europe. While Switch Mobility is an established player in the Indian market, it had apparently halted projects in Europe, where the group was supposed to build a production facility in Spain. Oddly enough, the same E1 model was launched in 2022 and never marketed in the continent. It’s unclear wether the model presented today share the same specifications or is the outcome of a new project. And the same EiV12 was presented in 2022…

Switch Mobility to export in Europe from UAE?

As reported by The New Indian Express, Switch buses are currently being exported to Mauritius, and the company has secured an order for 45 electric buses from Bhutan. Between April and December 2025, Switch India sold 850 buses and 1,200 electric light commercial vehicles, with an order book of 1,350 units. More than 240 buses have been delivered in Delhi.

Ashok Leyland is also evaluating external funding options for its EV vertical, OHM Global Mobility. “We have already invested Rs 300 crore in OHM and earmarked another Rs 300 crore. Beyond this Rs 600 crore, we will look to add other fund-raising options,” Agarwal said during the earnings call, as quoted by The New Indian Express.

In Q3, the company posted a profit of Rs 796 crore, up 4% year-on-year, while export volumes rose to 4,965 units from 4,151 units a year earlier.