Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland on Thursday said it has entered into a partnership with Japanese firm Nidec for developing e-drive motors for commercial vehicles.

Under the multi-pronged collaboration, the two partners will work to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Electric Drive Units (EDUs), which will focus on developing motor technologies and power electronics systems for EVs, along with innovations in gear-shifting mechanisms, Ashok Leyland said in a statement.

“This collaboration allows us to co-develop, innovative e-drive motors specifically designed for the unique demands of India’s commercial vehicle market, while significantly advancing our electric mobility capabilities,” said Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO at Ashok Leyland.

The collaboration will also involve joint research and development efforts, with both companies contributing to skilling, lab infrastructure, and defining novel, differentiated motor technologies for the EV portfolio of Ashok Leyland and its subsidiary Switch Mobility, the company said.

Ashok Leyland further said it will continue to source motors from Nidec for its existing EV lineup, while collaborating on research and development for future electric solutions.

“Our investment strategy and motor technology are well complemented by Ashok Leyland, who understand the precise and specific demands of the commercial vehicle market,” said Michael Briggs, President at Nidec Motion & Energy.

The announcement comes days after the government launched the Prime Minister E-Drive Scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for faster adoption of electric vehicles, setting up of charging infrastructure and development of EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

The scheme has come into effect from October 1.