DRIVN Plans Rs.900 Crore Intercity EV Push With JBM and Purple
Commercial EV leasing service DRIVN will fund the purchase and deployment of 600 electric buses through collaborations with JBM Electric Vehicles and Purple Bus, establishing an estimated Rs.900-crore pipeline as it aims to eliminate the upfront-capital hurdle hindering the electrification of India’s intercity transport sector.
The initiative includes acquiring 500 buses from JBM and an additional 100 buses to be used with Purple. With an average cost of Rs.1.5 crore, the JBM contract is projected to be worth Rs.750 crore, while the Purple fleet is valued at Rs.150 crore.
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The cost may fluctuate as Purple is evaluating 12- and 13.5-metre buses priced at Rs.1.4-1.65 crore, based on their setup.
DRIVN will purchase and possess the vehicles prior to leasing them to operators through long-term agreements. Its framework integrates vehicle financing with the planning of charging infrastructure, maintenance, fleet oversight, and battery lifecycle management, enabling operators to grow without making significant initial capital investments.
Saurabh Patwardhan, Director of Purple Mobility, stated that the 100 buses would deliver the necessary scale to develop charging infrastructure, comprehend the technology, and stabilize unit economics.
Purple, managing over 1,200 vehicles in 85 cities, anticipates launching the initial buses next month. A letter of intent has been signed with Switch Mobility for approximately 40 buses to be acquired over a period of six months, and it is assessing JBM and VE Commercial Vehicles for future batches.
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Approximately 60-70 percent of the fleet will consist of seaters, while the remaining configurations will be sleeper and sleeper-seater. The buses will first run on eight to 10 routes under 350 km, enabling them to finish schedules without needing to charge in between. Purple anticipates the fleet will manage 150 daily operations.
It aims to grow its intercity electric fleet to 400-500 buses in the next two to three years. Purple has recognized 52 possible routes that could ultimately accommodate 700-750 buses.
Every electric bus is anticipated to produce an annual income of Rs.1.30-1.35 crore, contributing Rs.130-135 crore to Purple's revenue following the deployment of 100 buses. Profitability, nonetheless, will rely on usage, electricity expenses, rental fees, upkeep, and battery efficiency.
The JBM agreement with DRIVN encompasses the rollout of 500 buses throughout India in the upcoming year, starting with luxury intercity coaches and possibly branching out into employee transportation, school transit, and airport shuttles.
JBM provides intercity, urban, employee, and school buses, claiming its comprehensive Delhi-NCR production plant has a yearly capacity of 20,000 buses.
Independently, the intercity mobility service zingbus has secured agreements with 50 local operators to enable the introduction of over 200 zingbus Maxx and electric buses in the coming year, enhancing its footprint throughout South and West India.
The target of over 200 includes both premium Maxx coaches and electric buses; zingbus has not revealed the proportion of EVs. It intends to launch over 50 electric buses in 2026 and expand its electric fleet to 1,000 by 2030. The first phase will include routes linking Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, and Goa.
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The JBM, Purple, and zingbus strategies show that private intercity electrification is advancing from just vehicle acquisition to approaches that integrate manufacturing scale, specialized funding, regional operational knowledge, and digital distribution.