In a major push towards electrifying India’s heavy commercial vehicle segment, Drivn and Energy in Motion (EIM) — an associate company of Ravindra Energy Limited — have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy approximately 1,000 electric heavy-duty trucks across the country over the next two years.
The agreement, signed on April 21, 2026, aims to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks by combining vehicle supply, innovative battery-swapping technology, energy infrastructure, and flexible financing solutions. This integrated approach is designed to significantly lower the entry barriers for fleet operators transitioning from diesel to electric.
The collaboration brings together complementary strengths:
- Energy in Motion (EIM) will supply battery-swappable electric trucks (sold without the battery pack) along with its proven battery-swapping and charging infrastructure. EIM’s technology enables quick battery swaps — typically in under 5 minutes — allowing fleets to maintain high uptime with minimal downtime compared to traditional charging.
- Drivn, an EV leasing and financing platform backed by Nomura, will provide leasing, financing, and full fleet lifecycle management services. This makes high-capex electric trucks accessible through affordable monthly rentals and operational support, removing the heavy upfront investment burden on fleet owners.
By separating the vehicle from the battery and offering it as a service (vehicle + energy + financing), the partnership addresses the three biggest challenges in electric truck adoption: high initial cost, range anxiety, and charging infrastructure limitations.
India’s trucking industry, which moves a massive portion of the country’s freight, is under increasing pressure to reduce emissions and operating costs. Diesel trucks dominate today, but rising fuel prices, stricter emission norms, and government incentives for EVs are driving the shift.
This MoU is expected to create one of the largest battery-swapping-based electric truck deployments in India. It will focus on heavy-duty applications such as tractor-trailers used in long-haul and intra-city logistics.
EIM has already demonstrated its battery-swapping capabilities with operational stations and earlier orders, while Drivn brings a strong network of fleet operators and proven leasing expertise. Together, they aim to build a scalable ecosystem that can be expanded beyond the initial 1,000 trucks.
- Target Deployment: ~1,000 electric heavy-duty trucks
- Timeline: Over the next two years
- Model: Battery-swappable EVs + leasing & financing + energy infrastructure
- Focus: Reducing total cost of ownership and operational barriers for fleet operators
- Date of MoU: April 21, 2026
This partnership represents a significant step in making electric mobility practical and economical for India’s commercial vehicle segment. If successful, it could serve as a blueprint for larger-scale electrification of the logistics industry.
Industry watchers will be closely monitoring the rollout, as successful execution could attract more players and investment into battery-swapping technology for heavy commercial vehicles in India.
