Vinod K. Dasari, Chairman of the Board at Tresa Motors

Tresa Motors, a OEM manufacturer of medium and heavy electric trucks, plans to invest between ₹500–1000 crore in establishing both the manufacturing and R&D facilities, according to the newly appointed Chairman of its Board, Vinod K. Dasari.

Dasari, who will assume his role as Chairman with immediate effect, has previously held leadership roles in companies including Royal Enfield and Ashok Leyland and was former President of SIAM.

The company is currently evaluating potential locations for its manufacturing and R&D facility, with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu being the top contenders. An official announcement regarding the chosen location is expected within the next 2–3 months, the chairman told businessline.

The Bangalore-based startup was founded in 2022 by Rohan Shravan and Ravi Machani and offers core competencies in industrial design, electric powertrains, and battery-related technologies. It is currently developing electric trucks in the 18- to 55-tonne GVW segment and unveiled its first vehicle, the Model V0.1, on July 3, 2023.

“Our entire range will be in the 11-ton GVW segment; we have no plans to be in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment, and our initial product would be an 18-tonne product,” the chairman said.

The prototype of this product is scheduled to be showcased in the first week of September, followed by homologation and paralleling processes to commence production, which is estimated to take approximately 2 years. “Hence, the first output is expected to be available by 2026,” he added.

Furthermore, Dasari emphasised the importance of developing commercially viable electric vehicles for the Indian market. Tresa Motors is working on designing vehicles with options for overnight charging and fast charging, allowing for a distance coverage of 400–500 km on a single charge.

“We want to bring a medium-to-heavy electric vehicle that is truly Indian; we want to leverage the Indian talent.” Currently, it has a headcount of 40–50 employees. As Tresa Motors expands its operations, it anticipates increasing its workforce to over 1,000 employees in the next two years.

Published on July 31, 2023