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Ampstar, the electric commercial-vehicle brand launched by JSW Greentech, has secured an order from JSW Cement for 100 electric heavy-duty trucks. The battery-swapping 55-tonne tractor units are intended to carry clinker and slag on a route between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; the companies have not disclosed the order value or delivery schedule.
Ampstar, the electric commercial-vehicle brand of JSW Greentech, has secured an order from group company JSW Cement for 100 electric heavy-duty trucks, its first reported commercial sale. The trucks are planned for a roughly 330-kilometre freight route between Vijayanagar in Karnataka and Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, where they will carry clinker and slag.
The order covers Ampstar’s 55-tonne 4×2 electric tractor units, configured with swappable batteries. Ampstar offers the model with either fixed or swappable batteries; JSW Cement has selected the swappable version for this deployment. The report does not give the purchase price or say when the trucks will enter service.
JSW Eco-Mobility, another JSW Greentech subsidiary, is to establish four battery-swapping stations along the route. The logistics partner is Paradeep Parivahan Limited, based in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha. JSW Cement plans for the fleet to move an estimated 1.25 lakh tonnes of cargo each month, according to the report.
Ampstar estimates the fleet could cut JSW Cement’s diesel use in transport by about 45 million litres and avoid around 6,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the contract period. These are company estimates, not independently verified operating results. The contract period and the assumptions behind the estimates were not specified in the report.
A Test for Electric Freight
The order puts electric trucks into a planned, regular freight operation rather than a small demonstration. Its scale will make the route’s vehicle availability, cargo throughput and charging or swapping logistics practical tests of whether heavy-duty electric transport can serve demanding industrial freight needs.
The planned swap stations are central to the deployment: they are intended to support trucks moving between two industrial locations across a long corridor. The outcome may offer a useful indication of how battery swapping works for this particular route and operating plan, but the order alone does not establish that the system will be commercially or operationally effective elsewhere.
If Ampstar’s estimates are borne out, reduced diesel use and transport emissions could matter to JSW Cement’s logistics footprint. The reported figures remain projections; actual savings will depend on factors such as fleet utilization, electricity supply, operating conditions and the duration of the contract. No measured results are available yet.
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Ampstar’s First Commercial Deployment
Ampstar is a new electric commercial-vehicle brand under JSW Greentech, part of Indian conglomerate JSW Group. The order is an internal group deployment: JSW Cement is also a JSW Group subsidiary. The report describes the sale as Ampstar’s first commercial order.
Ampstar introduced its 55-tonne electric tractor in 4×2 and 6×4 configurations in the month before the order announcement. The company says the model can work with sidewall, tipper, skeletal, flatbed and bulker trailers. It also said both variants had received certification under India’s Central Motor Vehicle Rules from the Automotive Research Association of India.
At launch, Ampstar described a 420 kW motor and a 282 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, available in fixed or swappable form, with a stated range of 140 to 150 kilometres. For the 100 trucks in this order, the company has specified a 430 kW motor. The report does not provide the range for this configuration, so the earlier stated range should not be treated as a confirmed figure for the ordered trucks.
Ampstar also introduced a 12-metre electric staff bus. The company has said it expects to deliver between 500 and 2,000 electric vehicles by March 2027 across its first two models. It plans to manufacture them at a 90-acre greenfield plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra; the report does not detail the facility’s production status or capacity.
Order and Performance Details Pending
The report does not disclose the order value, contract duration, delivery timetable or the terms governing the 100 vehicles. It also does not say whether deliveries will be phased, when all four swapping stations will be ready, or how quickly a battery swap can be completed.
The operating range of the ordered 430 kW configuration has not been stated. Ampstar’s earlier 140-to-150-kilometre range was tied to the model described at launch with a 420 kW motor, and should not be assumed to apply unchanged to the trucks in this order. The source also provides no independent verification of the projected diesel and emissions reductions, and no baseline or calculation method for those estimates.
Fleet Rollout and Station Setup
The next reported steps are the supply of the trucks and the establishment of four battery-swapping stations between Vijayanagar and Nandyal. The source gives no dates for either milestone. Once operations begin, fleet deployment and cargo movement should clarify how the trucks perform on the route and whether the projected fuel and emissions reductions are being achieved.
Ampstar’s stated target of delivering 500 to 2,000 vehicles by March 2027 is another milestone to watch. The announcement does not provide a breakdown of that target between the trucks and staff buses, or confirm how much production capacity will be available at the planned Maharashtra plant.
Key Questions
Who ordered the 100 Ampstar electric trucks?
JSW Cement, a JSW Group subsidiary, placed the order with Ampstar, the electric commercial-vehicle brand of JSW Greentech.
What will the trucks carry, and where will they operate?
JSW Cement plans to use them to transport clinker and slag on a roughly 330-kilometre route between Vijayanagar, Karnataka, and Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh.
What type of trucks are included in the order?
The order is for 100 55-tonne 4×2 electric tractor units with swappable batteries. Ampstar says this deployment’s trucks will use a 430 kW motor.
How much diesel and CO2 could the fleet save?
Ampstar estimates about 45 million litres of diesel saved and around 6,250 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided over the contract period. These are projections; the contract duration and calculation basis were not provided in the report.
When will the trucks be delivered?
The announcement, as reported, does not give a delivery schedule or a date for the start of operations.
Source: electrive.com
