Bengaluru-based startup Tresa Motors was founded in 2022 by Rohan Shravan and Ravi Machani and its core competencies lie in industrial design, electric powertrains, and battery-related technologies for electric vehicles.
As logistic applications are increasing in India, it has opened a huge market ranging from heavy haulers to last mile deliveries and what comes in-between. While most of the current electric CV players have been concentrating on short range (around 100 kms or so) and light to medium trucks, new and advanced technologies are opening opportunities in other segments too.
Tresa Motors has planned a total investment of Rs 500 crore to start commercial production of close to 1,000 units of its 18 to 55-tonne medium and heavy electric truck platform Model V0.1. The company is currently bootstrapped and plans to raise funds from global clean energy funds after the prototype vehicles have completed the necessary trials.
While commercial availability of large electric trucks in India is in development mode, some of the EV start-ups are beginning to explore the 5- to 6-tonne segment and Tresa sees strong potential in heavyweight electric trucks in the 18- to 55-tonne GVW segment. Hence it has put in its efforts in building a working prototype — the Model V0.1. The funky looking cyber truck was previewed on July 3, 2023, to select media.
The next step is to ensure its production and the company that is being led by a highly experienced industry professional, the former MD and CEO of Ashok Leyland and CEO of Royal Enfield, Vinod K Dasari, is preparing for market launch by April 2026.
For this project Dasari has gone for complete localisation, by developing in-house manufacturing capabilities for its FLUX350 platform motors with a range of 150Kw to 350Kw, 600-kilowatt hour modular battery pack, and eAxle, as India’s answer to Tesla’s ‘Semi’ Electric truck.
The prototype Model V0.1 truck is India’s first centre-mounted steering wheel electric truck with active safety features, a generous range, and a spacious interior designed for maximum visibility.
Founder and CEO/CTO of Tresa Motors, Rohan Shravan, a mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur, told Autocar Professional and that the company proposes to earmark more than 50 percent of its envisaged investment of Rs 500 crore for Research and Development alone which will go into further refining its eAxle DAX1 which integrates Tresa’s FLUX350 motor, motor controller, AMT gearbox, and differential, into a single compact unit.
Shravan also said that from January 2025, the benchmark for the firm is to clock one million incident-free kms on the road by the time the production-ready vehicle rolls out from the factory. Meanwhile, the company is expected to finalise the location for manufacturing facilities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka within a few weeks.
Technical superiority
“It’s worth noting that there are only a handful of companies in the world that are capable of manufacturing e-axles with axial flux motors for medium and heavy truck applications. Tresa Motors proudly stands as the sole manufacturer of the axial flux motor-powered eAxle in India, showcasing the nation’s prowess in EV technology,” Shravan said.
Model V0.1 is the second major iteration of Tresa’s electric truck, which takes it closer to on-road trials with its partners as its modular battery pack approach enables the range to be extended “after” the trucks are sold.
Edmund Spitz, the Chief Design Officer, also told Autocar Professional that the electric truck will be capable of fast charging between 0-70 percent in 15 minutes and have a range of 300 km on a full charge. He said the range could go up to 500 km as the production-spec model is further under development.
Tresa Trucks are not only redefining the technological landscape but also pushing the boundaries of driver experience. The cabins of Model V are designed with central seating for drivers, providing a commanding view of the road ahead.
He also said that the trucks will offer air-conditioned driver cabins and will come equipped with safety features like airbags, Lidar and AI, making these trucks also promise to be one of the safest in the world.