What: OHM Automotive has partnered with China-based KINWIN and CHTC to introduce CATL battery-powered 12-meter electric intercity and intracity buses in the Indian market. The buses will initially enter India as completely built units (CBUs).
The Number: The buses use a 353 kWh LFP battery pack from CATL and claim a driving range of over 300 km per charge. OHM has already secured an order for 50 electric buses and plans to deploy 500 buses within two years.
The Impact: The OHM Automotive electric buses partnership reflects the growing push toward electrifying India’s intercity public transport segment, where high-capacity electric buses are still at an early deployment stage.
The Core News
The OHM Automotive electric buses partnership marks another significant development in India’s commercial EV sector, especially in the intercity electric bus category. According to the company, OHM Automotive will collaborate with KINWIN China and CHTC China to introduce 12-meter electric buses equipped with CATL battery systems for Indian operations. The first phase involves importing the buses as CBUs before moving toward local assembly and integration activities in India.
The buses are powered by CATL’s 353 kWh LFP battery pack and are designed to deliver more than 300 km of driving range on a single charge. OHM claims the battery system has a lifecycle target of nearly 1.2 million kilometers, positioning the vehicles for high-utilization commercial operations. The first two buses are expected to arrive in India within 45 days and will initially operate from Hyderabad.
The partnership also indicates how Indian EV companies are increasingly using international technology collaborations to accelerate deployment timelines in heavy commercial EV segments. OHM Automotive stated that it intends to invest around ₹200 crore toward future electric bus assembly operations in India over the coming years. Beyond vehicle imports, the collaboration includes technology support for bus manufacturing, vehicle integration, and deployment activities suited to Indian road and climate conditions.
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Breaking Down the Update
• OHM Automotive partnered with KINWIN and CHTC China for electric bus deployment in India
• The buses feature CATL 353 kWh LFP battery packs
• Claimed driving range exceeds 300 km per charge
• OHM has secured an initial order for 50 electric buses
• The first two buses are expected to arrive within 45 days
• Hyderabad will become the initial deployment market
• OHM targets deployment of 100 buses in the first year
• The company plans to scale to 500 intercity electric buses within two years
• OHM aims to invest ₹200 crore in future electric bus assembly operations in India
• The partnership includes technology transfer and integration support from KINWIN China
How OHM Automotive electric buses partnership will help Indian EV Market
The OHM Automotive electric buses partnership could accelerate electrification in one of India’s most difficult commercial vehicle segments — intercity passenger transport. While city bus electrification has gained traction through government tenders and state transport initiatives, long-distance electric bus operations remain limited due to concerns around range, charging infrastructure, operational uptime, and fleet economics.
By introducing 12-meter high-capacity buses with large CATL battery systems, OHM Automotive is targeting operators looking to reduce diesel dependency and lower operating costs over time. Electric intercity buses can significantly reduce fuel expenses, especially for private fleet operators running high daily utilization routes.
The collaboration may also help India’s EV ecosystem gain faster access to global battery and electric bus technologies. Partnerships with Chinese EV technology firms continue to play an important role in shortening product development cycles and improving vehicle performance benchmarks in India.
If OHM successfully transitions from imports to local assembly, it could support domestic EV manufacturing capabilities and component localization efforts. The company’s planned investment toward assembly infrastructure may also generate opportunities for charging providers, fleet operators, thermal management suppliers, and battery service ecosystems linked to commercial EV deployment.
Way Forward ..
The OHM Automotive electric buses partnership highlights how India’s electric commercial vehicle market is moving beyond urban mobility into larger intercity transport applications. The next phase will depend on deployment efficiency, charging ecosystem readiness, localization progress, and fleet economics under real operating conditions. If execution remains strong, the partnership could become an early case study for scalable electric intercity bus operations in India.
Read More: Catch up on All India EV’s related coverage on India’s evolving commercial EV subsidies and battery swapping policies at All India EV
