JBM Electric Vehicles has partnered with Hitachi ZeroCarbon to implement battery management solutions in its electric bus fleet. The initiative includes deploying Hitachi’s BatteryManager platform to gather real-time data from pilot vehicles, offering insights into charging behavior, route optimization, and asset utilization.
The integrated system is designed to enhance battery performance, extend battery lifespan, and optimize residual value. JBM EV stated that the platform’s analytics capabilities will support performance monitoring under varying climatic conditions, including those found in India and the Middle East.
JBM Electric Vehicles operates a manufacturing facility in Delhi-NCR with an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 electric buses. The plant is described by the company as the largest dedicated integrated electric bus facility outside China.
Nishant Arya, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of JBM Auto Ltd, said, “This collaboration…will ensure critical parameters for enhancing our battery performance proactively for each customer under different climatic conditions and leading to highest residual value of the batteries. It will enable us to enhance the total cost of ownership (TCO) for the public transport operators and fleet owners for multiple applications across the world.”
Ram Ramachander, CEO of Hitachi ZeroCarbon, noted that India’s operating environment provides an opportunity to demonstrate how the system supports fleet operators in managing EV assets amid diverse terrains and weather conditions.
Bharat Kaushal, Corporate Officer at Hitachi Ltd and Executive Chairman of Hitachi India, stated, “This collaboration will enable JBM and Hitachi to develop an improved business model for deployment of electric buses across the globe.”
JBM Electric Vehicles is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JBM Auto Ltd. The company manufactures a range of electric buses including city, intercity, luxury coach, staff, school, and special-purpose variants.