Force Traveller EV Rendering
Force Motors is getting closer to bringing its Traveller electric vehicles to market. The company plans to launch its first electric models based on the Traveller platform in the January-March quarter of 2027, with an electric ambulance expected to be part of the initial line-up.
The development work is already complete, according to managing director Prasan Firodia. The vehicles are currently undergoing final testing and homologation with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). Force Motors had showcased an electric version of the Traveller at the 2024 Auto Expo, but commercial sales have not begun so far.
The company intends to introduce multiple electric variants of the platform, which serves a range of applications including ambulances, school buses, employee transportation, police vans and delivery vehicles. This gives Force Motors an opportunity to target several commercial applications rather than limit the electric Traveller to conventional passenger transport.
The Traveller will be the first step in Force Motors’ wider electrification plans. An electric version of the Urbania people carrier is also under development, although it is still a few months away from entering the homologation stage. The company plans to electrify its other vehicle platforms in phases. However, Firodia expects the shift to electric mobility in the passenger-carrier segment, particularly for vehicles below seven metres, to be considerably slower than what the market has witnessed in electric two-wheelers and passenger cars.
The economics of running an EV, range limitations and the availability of charging infrastructure remain important considerations for fleet operators. School transportation could be among the early adopters, given its predictable routes and daily running distances. Tourism and inter-city operations, on the other hand, involve less predictable travel patterns and can make charging logistics more complicated.
Force Motors is investing Rs 3,000 crore across manufacturing capacity, engineering, electrification, hybrid driveline technology and digitisation. It is also working towards increasing its production capacity to 85,000 vehicles.
The Traveller EV programme will be an important test of how electric mobility can work in specialised commercial applications. Ambulances, in particular, have very different operating requirements from regular passenger vehicles, making factors such as range, charging time and vehicle uptime crucial.
For now, Force Motors has not disclosed the launch prices or detailed specifications of its upcoming Traveller EV range. Those details are likely to emerge closer to the market introduction.
