Manesar: TVS VMS, part of TVS Mobility Group, has entered the electric trucking segment for the first time through a strategic partnership with Montra Electric (eM&HCV Division), marking a significant milestone in India’s logistics and commercial mobility sector.
Under the collaboration, TVS VMS has inducted Montra Electric’s Rhino e-M&HCVs into live freight operations, with both companies targeting the deployment of more than 300 electric trucks during FY 2026–27.
The collaboration brings together two companies belonging to legacy business groups with a combined experience of more than 200 years.
The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of cleaner freight transportation while supporting India’s transition towards sustainable logistics.
As part of the first phase, 57 Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 TT electric heavy commercial trucks were flagged off at Manesar.
The deployment is significant because TVS has operated conventional fossil fuel-powered trucks for over seven decades, making this its first foray into electric trucking.
The Rhino electric heavy commercial vehicles will initially be deployed by TVS VMS on a primary commercial freight route in Chhattisgarh.
The fleet will operate across a lead distance of approximately 190 km, supported by three strategically located dedicated charging stations to ensure uninterrupted operations and maximise vehicle uptime.
The deployment is expected to contribute towards reducing carbon emissions, lowering diesel consumption, and promoting sustainable transportation.
It is also designed to reduce operating costs and lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for freight customers while contributing to India’s Net Zero and clean energy objectives.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by senior leadership from both organisations. Montra Electric was represented by Navneet Sethi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO – eM&HCV Division), and P.V. Satyanarayana, Chief Business Officer (CBO), while
TVS VMS was represented by Madhu Raghunath, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and K. Ramesh, Head – EV Business, along with their respective leadership teams.
Speaking on the partnership, Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, said:
“For a partner like TVS VMS, with seven decades of experience to put our electric trucks into live freight operations is exactly the validation India’s logistics industry needed. This is proof that our technology is ready for commercial scale. It also reflects the depth of what we’ve built at Montra Electric with products engineered to address the specific operational needs of this market.
Our team worked with TVS VMS to plan the operations, set up charging around their exact routes, and our telematics platform keeps optimising performance as the fleet runs. That’s the difference between a truck that works on paper and a fleet that works on the road.”
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Navneet Sethi, CEO, Montra Electric (eM&HCV Division), said:
“For years, industries built around heavy, continuous haulage, steel being a prime example, have questioned whether electric HCVs can genuinely stand up to sustained heavy-load freight, and that scepticism has shaped how slowly this sector has moved toward electrification.
TVS VMS putting our Rhino trucks into live operations answers that question decisively, for us and for every heavy-load industry watching closely. This is a company with over seven decades of running conventional trucking now choosing to enter electric trucking for the first time, and choosing us to do it is validation that our platform can handle the demands of commercial-scale freight.
For Montra Electric, this is a marker of how electric heavy trucking moves from possibility to standard practice in India, and we intend to lead that shift at national scale.”
Madhu Raghunath, CEO of TVS VMS, added: “This strategic partnership marks a decisive step in advancing India’s green logistics infrastructure.
TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions is proud to power this transition through our full-suite, end-to-end lifecycle management platform—integrating vehicle leasing, driver operations, maintenance, insurance, charging ecosystem, and connected telematics to make zero-emission fleet operations effortless and commercially viable.”
Building on the initial deployment, Montra Electric and TVS VMS plan to deploy more than 300 electric trucks during FY 2026–27, reinforcing their shared vision of transforming commercial transportation through clean and sustainable mobility solutions.
Montra Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 TT specifications
The Montra Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 TT is manufactured at Montra Electric’s (IPL Tech Electric Pvt Ltd) facility in Manesar.
It is a 55-tonne Gross Combination Weight (GCW) electric tractor-trailer developed for demanding long-haul freight applications.
The vehicle is powered by a 282 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery coupled with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), producing 280 kW of peak power and 2,000 Nm of torque.
It offers 18% gradeability and features a 6-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) designed for sustained heavy-load operations.
The truck delivers a tested driving range of up to 198 km per charge under a one-way loaded and one-way empty duty cycle, representing real-world operating conditions.
It is offered in two variants:
- Fixed-battery variant: Supports fast charging from 20% to 100% State of Health (SOH) in around 60 minutes.
- Battery-swap variant: Enables complete battery replacement in less than six minutes, helping minimise downtime for high-utilisation freight operations.
The deployment marks TVS VMS‘s entry into electric trucking while strengthening the adoption of electric heavy commercial vehicles for long-haul logistics in India.
