JSW Group enters EV market with new brand Ampstar for buses and trucks
JSW Greentech has launched Ampstar, a new brand for electric buses and trucks built for Indian roads and weather.
JSW Group has entered India's commercial vehicle segment. The group's subsidiary JSW Greentech has launched a new brand, Ampstar, under which it will make sustainable and environment-friendly electric buses and trucks. JSW Greentech, started in 2024, has designed these vehicles keeping Indian roads and weather conditions in mind.
For this project, JSW Greentech will set up a 90-acre greenfield manufacturing plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, which will be the company's main production base. The plant will make 10,000 electric buses and 5,000 electric trucks every year. The vehicles are being developed for Indian conditions with help from a research and development centre in Pune and global technology partners. The vehicles have received CMVR type approval from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), clearing the way for their commercial sale.
At a launch event in Mumbai, Ampstar unveiled separate vehicles for public and commercial use. The electric buses include a 9-metre city bus, a 12-metre staff bus and a 12-metre city bus. The company has already handed over its first batch of 100 buses to JSW Steel (Dolvi) for employee transport. A full portfolio of buses ranging from 7 metres to 18 metres in length will be developed going forward, JSW Group chairman and managing director Sajjan Jindal said.
For freight, an e-truck-trailer with a 55-tonne capacity has been launched initially, with trucks of other capacities to follow. Tipper and fixed-body dumper trucks will also be introduced later. These vehicles will use motors and power systems ranging from 150 kW to 500 kW.
Ampstar is not just a vehicle brand but is building a complete EV ecosystem for customers. The company will itself provide charging infrastructure, operating solutions, financing and after-sales support. Besides outright purchase, customers will have easier ownership options such as leasing and Battery as a Service (BaaS).
The 90-acre integrated EV manufacturing plant being built in the AURIC area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will have the capacity to make 15,000 electric buses and trucks every year. The company has made an initial investment of Rs 2,500 crore for this commercial EV push.
The vehicles have been designed in-house keeping India's weather and roads in mind, with power configurations of 150 kW to 500 kW. They feature a double-cooling battery system and battery swapping in just 7 minutes. Customers will have the option of outright purchase, leasing and Battery as a Service, which can keep the upfront cost of the vehicle lower.
