Ashok Leyland & IIT Madras Take Electric Trucks to 40 Cities: BOSS EV Drive Begins

Key highlights:

• 40-city electric truck awareness drive launched.

• Initiative starts in Chennai on September 29, 2026.

• Programme runs across 14 states and Delhi.

• Ashok Leyland BOSS Electric to be demonstrated.

• Trial rides to address driver concerns.

Ashok Leyland and the Centre of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking (CoEZET) at IIT Madras have launched a 40-city electric truck awareness drive to encourage wider adoption of battery-electric trucks in India. The initiative, called ‘GET ZET - Electric Truck Awareness to Acceptance’, aims to help fleet owners, drivers and other industry stakeholders understand electric truck technology through real-world demonstrations and hands-on experiences.

The programme started in Chennai on September 29, 2026, and will continue until February 2027. It will travel across major logistics hubs and industrial corridors covering 14 states and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Ashok Leyland to Take Electric Trucks Across 40 Cities

The initiative will cover Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, along with Delhi. The programme will bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including fleet owners, logistics operators, financiers, load providers, charging infrastructure partners, policymakers and industry experts.

A key part of the programme will be demonstrations of Ashok Leyland’s electric mobility solutions. The company’s BOSS Electric truck, along with its charging setup, will be showcased during the events. This will allow participants to see the vehicle and charging infrastructure first-hand rather than only learning about the technology through presentations.

The sessions will focus on both the opportunities and practical challenges involved in moving towards zero-emission commercial transportation. Participants will also receive exposure to the broader electric commercial vehicle ecosystem through awareness sessions and demonstrations.

Hands-On Experience to Build Electric Truck Confidence

Ashok Leyland MD and CEO Shenu Agarwal said the initiative is aimed at building user confidence by taking electric truck technology closer to customers and other stakeholders. The 40-city programme will give participants an opportunity to experience the technology in real-world operating environments. For the trucking community, the programme will also include hands-on trial rides. These sessions are designed to give drivers direct experience of electric trucks while addressing some of their concerns about operating and using battery-electric commercial vehicles.

According to Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (ICSR), IIT Madras, CoEZET has been working on zero-emission truck adoption since 2022. Its work covers areas such as policy, technology, skilling and outreach. The GET ZET initiative builds on CoEZET’s earlier awareness efforts by giving stakeholders an opportunity to experience and evaluate battery-electric trucks directly. The organisation said these interactions are intended to support greater understanding and acceptance of electric trucks among drivers and the wider trucking ecosystem.

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CMV360 Says

The 40-city GET ZET initiative brings electric truck technology directly to the people and businesses that will use it. With demonstrations, charging infrastructure exposure and trial rides, the programme aims to address practical questions around zero-emission trucking. The participation of industry stakeholders, policymakers and technology experts could also help create wider awareness of the opportunities and challenges involved in India’s transition to electric commercial transportation.