A groundbreaking multi-year pilot program is set to launch in Tokyo this September, deploying over 150 battery-swappable commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and 14 modular battery swapping stations across the city. The ambitious initiative marks a collaboration between Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Ample and Yamato Transport. The aim is to drastically reduce vehicle downtime and accelerate Japan's decarbonisation goals.

The Tokyo project significantly expands on a successful smaller pilot conducted in Kyoto last year. The fleet will include MFTBC's eCanter light-duty trucks and Mitsubishi Motors' Minicab EV, specifically targeting commercial delivery operations. Yamato Transport, Japan's largest shipping and logistics group, will be the first major customer, focusing on last-mile deliveries. Ample, an American battery swapping company, will provide the battery swapping technology and manage the installation and operation of the swapping stations.

This initiative is a direct response to Japan's ambitious climate targets: a 46 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2013 levels by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. With the transportation sector contributing approximately 19 percent of Japan's total CO2 emissions in 2022, electrifying commercial fleets is a critical strategic priority. The project is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Environment Public Corporation.

A core objective of the program is to achieve battery swapping times of just five minutes, minimising disruption to commercial operations. Unlike traditional charging, Ample's system is fully automated, allowing drivers to remain in their vehicles. These compact, rapidly deployable stations offer a practical solution for high-utilisation fleets in dense urban environments like Tokyo. Future plans also include utilising these stations to provide grid services, such as storing renewable energy, further bolstering their environmental impact.

This collaboration builds on prior successful partnerships, including a 2024 pilot in Kyoto that involved Yamato Transport, MFTBC and Ample. That demonstration validated the operational benefits of battery swapping and its ability to support diverse vehicle types and brands simultaneously. The Tokyo expansion not only scales up operations but also welcomes Mitsubishi Motors, a pioneer in the commercial EV segment, as an additional automotive partner.

The consortium's ultimate goal is to showcase battery swapping as a viable solution for the demanding real-world needs of commercial EV operators and to establish a robust infrastructure for commercial battery swapping across Japan's largest city. The project remains open to welcoming additional automakers, fleets and logistics operators interested in joining this transformative effort.

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GreenLine Mobility Solutions Ltd., an Essar venture and the sole Indian operator of LNG and electric-powered heavy commercial trucks for green logistics, has entered into a partnership with Dabur India Ltd., a major FMCG player. The agreement focuses on integrating LNG-powered trucks into Dabur’s logistics network to advance supply chain sustainability.

GreenLine will supply its LNG fleet to handle long-haul freight for Dabur, aiming to cut emissions significantly without compromising on performance or dependability. This move aligns with Dabur’s internal goals for a lower-carbon operational framework and reflects a wider corporate trend in India toward embracing cleaner transport alternatives.

Currently, GreenLine manages over 1,000 LNG and electric vehicles on key freight routes, serving diverse sectors such as steel, cement, mining, FMCG and chemicals. The fleet has surpassed 100 million kilometres in cumulative travel, resulting in more than 27,000 tonnes of CO₂ reductions for its clients, reinforcing the company’s role in reshaping India’s road freight landscape.

Charles Devlin D’Costa, Vice President – Sales, GreenLine Mobility Solutions Ltd, said, "We are pleased to partner with Dabur India, one of India's most respected consumer goods companies, as it adopts greener road transportation solutions. It is encouraging to see more leading Indian companies making low-emission logistics an integral part of their business strategy. Every such partnership strengthens the momentum towards cleaner freight mobility, bringing us a step closer to transforming India's road logistics ecosystem. At GreenLine, we remain committed to enabling businesses across sectors to accelerate the transition to lower-emission transportation."

Samrat Sehgal, Global Director of Supply Chain, Dabur India, said, "Reducing the environmental footprint of our supply chain is an important part of Dabur India's sustainability roadmap. Our partnership with GreenLine enables us to integrate lower-emission transportation into our logistics operations while maintaining efficiency and reliability. We believe collaborations like these will play a key role in building a more sustainable and future-ready supply chain."

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Euler Motors has announced a collaboration with Green Drive Mobility to deploy four-wheeler electric cargo vehicles across mid-mile and last-mile operations. The partnership has deployed approximately 50 units, with plans to reach 500 units during the financial year across Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.

The deployment features Euler’s Storm LR and TURBO EV 1000 models, targeting a total of 1,000 electric cargo vehicles by 2028.

Vani Rikhy Mehra, VP – Sales, Euler Motors, said, “Our collaboration with Green Drive Mobility marks an important step in expanding the role of electric commercial vehicles in India’s logistics ecosystem. Green Drive Mobility is one of the country’s most respected multi-stack EV fleet operators, and we are pleased to support their growth journey with Euler’s purpose-built electric cargo vehicles. Their disciplined approach to fleet expansion and their diverse enterprise customer base align closely with Euler’s commitment to building products and a service ecosystem that enable fleet operators to transition to electric with confidence – improving uptime, lowering operating costs, and reducing emissions at scale.”

Sagar Subramani, COO, Green Drive Mobility, added, “Our collaboration with Euler Motors reinforces our strategy of building a reliable, scalable, and technology-led electric logistics platform powered by the best vehicles from leading OEMs. Euler’s products bring strong payload performance and proven reliability, and their API-led approach fits seamlessly into our operations. As demand for sustainable logistics continues to grow across sectors, this collaboration will help us deliver consistent uptime and operational efficiency to our enterprise customers, while accelerating the shift to zero-emission mobility across India.”

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Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker Simple Energy is set to unveil its first family e-scooter on 2 September 2026, entering the country's mass-market segment.

The mass-market EV is set to follow the Simple One and the Simple Ultra models.

Simple Energy states that the in-house developed new model is part of its robust R&D capabilities spanning proprietary software, technologies and advanced engineering solutions.

The company is said to be the first Indian OEM to commercially manufacture heavy rare-earth-free electric motors.

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Billion Electric Mobility has announced a partnership with J K Cement to deploy over 150 heavy-duty electric trucks during the financial year. The project has commenced with the deployment of 20 electric trucks from J K Cement's Muddapur plant in Karnataka, transporting cement to stockyards in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.

At present, Billion Electric provides an electric freight platform that includes vehicles, charging infrastructure, fleet operations and route management. ChargeZone's charging network supports operations across corridors in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, with locations including Nipani, Satara, Pune, Karad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Hubli and Davanagere.

Sanjeev Kulkarni, CEO, Billion Electric Mobility, said, "The decarbonisation of India's freight sector will be driven by enterprises that are willing to lead from the front. J K Cement's commitment demonstrates that heavy-duty electric mobility is no longer a future aspiration but a commercially viable reality. Through Billion Electric's integrated eMaaS platform, supported by ChargeZone's expanding high-speed charging network, we are enabling businesses to transition to electric freight with confidence while building the infrastructure backbone needed to scale zero-emission logistics across the country."

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