Switch Mobility – which has taken on elements of the Optare business – has announced its formal launch.
It will combine the electric commercial vehicle operations of Ashok Leyland and Optare “to secure a leading global position in net zero buses and light commercial vehicles,” and continues to be backed by the Hinduja Group.
To that end, the first members of a leadership team have been appointed to leverage the legacy manufacturing and innovation capabilities of both businesses while “applying cutting-edge technologies to provide customers with industry-leading low cost of ownership and net zero emissions transport solutions globally,” Switch says in a statement.
Dr Andy Palmer (pictured, above) will head the organisation as Executive Vice Chairman and CEO. Dr Palmer joined the Ashok Leyland board in 2015 and he was appointed Optare Non-Executive Chairman in July 2020. He is supported at Switch by an experienced team, to which further members will be added shortly:
- Nitin Seth, Chief Operating Officer
- Sarwant Singh Saini, Chief Planning Officer
- Roger Blakey, Chief Technical Officer.
Dheeraj Hinduja is Chairman of Switch Mobility. He says: “Hinduja Group is focused on providing the needed thrust to our ongoing initiatives in the rapidly growing zero-carbon mobility sector. This is orchestrated through combining the advanced engineering and development skills in the UK and India to address the demand in global markets. I am confident that with Andy Palmer at the helm, we will accelerate our vision to be at the forefront in this field soon.”
Adds Dr Palmer: “Switch holds a unique position in an increasingly competitive marketplace, with our EV commercial vehicles already covering millions of miles in service. We embrace the ethos of a start-up, and we enjoy the legacies of intellectual property, born from more than a decade of technical expertise and engineering experience, that is already revenue generating and delivering for our customers.
“I am delighted to have become part of the executive leadership team and I believe that we have all the required ingredients to become a leading global e-bus and e-truck player, trailblazing the way to zero-carbon public transport.”
In June, Switch was awarded ÂŁ296,205 from the Transitioning towards Zero Emission Vehicles and Niche Vehicle Network programme. That Office for Zero Emission Vehicles funding will go towards the development of a modular and connected electric van platform that is designed to offer the lowest possible total cost of ownership.
