SUN Mobility Wins India's First AIS-038 Certification for Swappable EV Battery Platform

SUN Mobility, a battery swapping solutions provider, has announced that its Heavy Electric Vehicle (HEV) business has received the country's first AIS-038 certification for an indigenously developed swappable high-voltage battery platform designed for trucks and buses. The certification was awarded by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Chakan, following exhaustive testing to validate the platform's safety, performance, and reliability for commercial applications.

The company, which began its journey in the swappable battery space in 2019 with India's first such system for buses, says the certified platform represents the culmination of years of domestic research and development. SUN Mobility's HEV business has filed over 160 intellectual property applications, with more than 40 granted to date.

Platform Specifications and Design

The certified platform is available in two variants — 50 kWh and 100 kWh — along with combinations of the two, both operating within the 660V high-voltage category. The system features an OEM-agnostic, modular architecture, meaning it is compatible across multiple vehicle manufacturers and supports both new vehicle integration and retrofit applications. This design allows fleet operators to adjust energy capacity based on specific operational requirements, spanning small, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles.

The modularity and scalability of the platform are intended to reduce vehicle downtime, address range anxiety, and improve overall fleet economics — factors often cited as barriers to widespread electric vehicle adoption in the commercial segment.

The certification arrives at a time when India's central government is actively promoting electric mobility through initiatives such as the PM e-DRIVE scheme, which targets the procurement of electric buses and trucks. SUN Mobility's AIS-038 certification positions the platform as a verified and compliant option for fleet operators and original equipment manufacturers seeking to align with these policy objectives.

Ashok Agarwal, CEO of SUN Mobility's HEV Business, described the certification as a reaffirmation of the company's objective to broaden EV adoption through domestically manufactured battery swapping solutions.

Naveen Chopra, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer (Manufacturing Operations) at SUN Mobility's HEV Business, said the development and certification of the high-voltage platform validates the engineering robustness of the indigenous system and its readiness for real-world commercial operating conditions.

Founded in 2017, SUN Mobility reports that it has deployed over 1,300 Swap Points across more than 23 cities in India, facilitating over 35 million battery swaps and enabling more than one billion electric kilometres. The company states its technology has contributed to the elimination of over 70,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions. SUN Mobility operates a joint venture with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), called IndoFast Swap Energy, aimed at scaling the country's battery swapping network.