The Chennai-based Murugappa Group, which manufactures and markets the Montra brand of electric commercial vehicles (e-CVs), has clocked cumulative retail sales (customer deliveries) of over 1,000 units. As per Vahan, Montra Electric delivered a total of 1,126 zero-emission four-wheeled CVs since its market entry in January 2025 through to September 20, 2026.
Of this, the bulk – 810 units or 72% – of the e-CV sales has come this year between January and September 20, reflecting the strong increase in demand for Montra e-CVs, particularly the Eviator mini-truck (sold under Tivolt EVs). Not surprisingly, Montra and Tivolt EVs ranked ninth in the Top 10 e-CV OEMs in January-August 2026, which saw a record 23,540 e-CVs sold in India. Montra Electric’s strong performance has resulted in its e-CV market share rising to 3% from 1% in January-August 2025.
While the 55-tonne Rhino HCVs are targeted at the logistics, construction, mining, cement and port infrastructure sectors, Montra e-CV sales mainly comprise the Eviator 350 and 350L small truck.
Montra Eviator Mini-Truck Sales Trend and Specifications
As the CY2026 YTD retail sales statistics for Montra e-CVs reveal, July (148 units) has been its best month to date with August (126 units) a close second. In the first 20 days of September, 95 e-CVs have been delivered to customers.
In tandem with the rest of the e-CV industry, the bulk of the demand is for the small e-CV / mini-truck portfolio comprising the Montra Eviator 350 (32 kWh) and Eviator 350L+ (50 kWh) which are marketed under Tivolt Electric Vehicles, Montra Electric’s e-SCV division.
The Eviator has a claimed real-world range of up to 170km per charge with a full 1,707kg payload capacity. While the Eviator 350 is targeted at urban last-mile delivery operators, the Eviator 350L+ (certified range of 300km) targets intercity and high-demand applications such as refrigerated transport and municipal services. The existing Montra 40kWh model remains in the lineup, giving fleet operators three battery configurations to choose from within the same vehicle platform. The Montra Eviator electric mini-truck achieves 100% charge from 20% in an hour and 29 minutes, using a 30kW DC fast charger.
Montra Rhino Electric Truck: Range, Charging and Fleet Deployment
The Montra Electric Rhino 55-tonne HCV has two variants: Rhino 6 x 4 Tractor Trailer (with up to 169km per charge) and Rhino 4x2 Tractor Trailer (up to 198km). Battery-swapping in a claimed 7 minutes solutions minimizes downtime, as per the company website. The claimed long-term savings on the Rhino HCV are 70% lower costs and reduced TCO compared to diesel trucks.
The Montra Rhino HCV, which is equipped with advanced telematics and intelligent fleet management systems, is targeted at the logistics, construction, mining, cement and port infrastructure sectors which are key users of heavy-load transportation. In early July this year, Montra Electric dispatched its first batch of 65 Rhino e-HCVs from its production facility in Manesar, Haryana. The rollout was the initial phase of a larger 260-unit fleet order planned for commercial deployment across primary domestic industrial freight corridors in India.
India Electric Commercial Vehicle Market Outlook 2026
Given the continuing West Asia crude oil crisis and rising geopolitical tension in the Gulf region, which has adversely impacted the global supply chain and seen Brent crude jump from below $70 a barrel in January 2026 to over US$101 today (September 20), the commercial vehicle industry in India and in key global markets should see a rise in demand for electric vehicles.
Expect Montra Electric, which is among the key beneficiaries of this shift to electric mobility, to achieve its best-ever annual sales of around 1,100 units in CY2026 and contribute to the Indian e-CV industry estimated record retail sales of around 40,000-42,000 units this year.