SUN Mobility showcases modular multi-battery swapping solution for Tata Starbus EV at Prawaas 5.0

SUN Mobility showcased its modular multi-battery swapping solution for heavy electric vehicles (HEVs) integrated with the Tata Starbus 12-metre electric bus platform at Prawaas 5.0, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 9 July 2026.

The solution features an AIS-038-certified modular battery architecture that enables two battery packs to be swapped simultaneously in under five minutes. The platform supports 50 kWh and 100 kWh battery configurations and is designed for commercial vehicles ranging from 3-tonne to 55-tonne gross vehicle weight (GVW).

SUN Mobility said its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model separates battery ownership from the vehicle, allowing fleet operators to pay for energy usage instead of purchasing the battery. The company said this approach is intended to reduce upfront vehicle costs while shifting battery maintenance and replacement responsibilities to the swap operator.

The system was inaugurated by Amrendra Singh Kishore, Director, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, in the presence of Anand S, Vice President and Business Head, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles; T.V. Srinivas, Head – Product Planning, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles; Chetan Maini, Co-founder and Chairman, SUN Mobility; and Ashok Agarwal, CEO, SUN Mobility HEV.

According to the company, the same battery, vehicle and swap station architecture can be used across staff transport, city buses and intercity applications. The platform also includes connected vehicle capabilities such as battery health monitoring, location tracking, energy usage analytics, predictive maintenance alerts and over-the-air software updates through the company’s digital platform.

During the event, SUN Mobility conducted a live demonstration of the battery swapping process on the Tata Starbus EV platform. Company representatives also addressed the media on the potential applications of the technology for commercial vehicle fleets and OEMs.

SUN Mobility said the platform supports buses from 7 metres to 13.5 metres and trucks from 3 tonnes to 55 tonnes GVW. The company added that its battery swapping technology is protected by more than 275 patents and has been deployed across two-, three-, four-wheelers and heavy electric vehicles.

Speaking on this announcement, Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Chairman, SUN Mobility, said, “When we founded SUN Mobility, our vision was to make electric mobility as convenient, scalable, and economically viable as conventional transport by reimagining energy infrastructure. The unveiling of the world’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution demonstrated with Tata Starbus EV at Prawaas 5.0 marks a defining milestone in that journey. We believe the modular multi-battery swapping solution has the potential to unlock large-scale electrification across the commercial vehicle ecosystem by delivering a cost-effective and operationally efficient energy solution for diverse applications. As India accelerates its transition to clean mobility, technologies designed and built here can not only transform commercial transportation at home but also position India as a global leader in next-generation electric mobility solutions.”

Ashok Agarwal, CEO, SUN Mobility HEV, said, “The next phase of electrification will not be defined solely by vehicles, but by the energy ecosystems that power them. Our showcase of World’s first Modular Multi-Battery Swappable Solution on the Tata Starbus EV platform demonstrates how one battery swapping platform can serve staff, city transit, and intercity fleets alike, without compromising on affordability or operational reliability. We see this as a real step towards mass adoption of EVs in commercial transportation.”

Also read: Helios Climate invests in Sun Mobility to launch battery swapping network in Africa