Tsuyo Manufacturing eyes world-class EV Tech

Partnerships without surrendering engineering

Tsuyo is attempting to navigate this constraint through a combination of in-house engineering and overseas collaboration. Its collaboration with China’s Suzhou Lvkon Transmission Technology Co., Ltd. (LvKON) is part of its response. The partnership brings together drivetrain expertise and development resources with Tsuyo’s understanding of Indian OEM requirements and vehicle applications. The stated objective is to develop electric powertrain technologies for commercial vehicles, rather than treat the relationship merely as a route to importing finished products.

That distinction is important. Overseas partners can provide access to engineering infrastructure, testing resources and faster product development. But designs developed for one market cannot always be transferred unchanged to another. Operating conditions, vehicle duty cycles, service expectations and customer specifications all influence the final product, Kumar explained.

Tsuyo says it designs motors in-house up to the 40–50 kW range, while working with partners on other solutions. The extent of that engineering contribution—and how much intellectual property and manufacturing capability remains with the Indian company—will be a more meaningful measure of localisation than the nationality of the supplier alone.

Nor can localisation be reduced to a promise that every component will be sourced domestically. Certain materials and electronic components remain dependent on imports. The commercial test is whether local engineering and manufacturing can make the overall system more competitive and responsive to customers, while reducing avoidable dependencies over time.

From motors to integrated powertrains

Tsuyo plans to develop a 24-acre integrated powertrain facility in Karnataka, bringing motors, controllers and transmissions under one roof. The proposed facility is intended to support a broader range of applications, including automated manual transmissions and powertrain-related products for defence and railway use.

It also plans an in-house, open-field vehicle testing track spread over approximately 2.5 acres. The CEO said that OEM drive-cycle validation can take eight to ten months, with manufacturers repeating tests for their own applications. Conducting more of this work within the supplier’s premises could shorten development cycles, though the extent of the benefit will depend on the tests performed and their acceptance by customers.

These investments matter because a motor is only one part of an electric powertrain. The ability to develop and validate the motor, controller and transmission as a system can give a supplier greater control over integration and application-specific performance. But a larger facility is not an advantage in itself: it must generate sufficient business to justify the capital tied up in it.

Defence and railways offer Tsuyo additional avenues for applying its powertrain capabilities. The company has referred to programmes in these segments, although the specific projects and their commercial scale have not been disclosed.

Retrofitting Makes The Case For Wider EV Transition

Tsuyo is also looking at electric-vehicle retrofits, particularly for three-wheelers and commercial vehicles. The proposition is practical rather than aspirational: where the existing chassis and body remain usable, replacing the powertrain could extend a vehicle’s working life without requiring the purchase of an entirely new vehicle.

The economics, however, will depend on conversion costs, battery prices, regulatory approvals, charging access and the availability of reliable service support. Tsuyo has argued that policy incentives should extend to conversions, rather than focus predominantly on new EV purchases.

In essence, Tsuyo’s plans reflect the breadth of the challenge facing India’s EV component industry. Partnerships can bridge technology gaps, while local engineering, integrated manufacturing and testing can help build capability. None of these, on its own, guarantees competitiveness.

Ultimately, Indian suppliers will have to demonstrate that they can deliver dependable technology at prices OEMs that will accept, while at volumes that make continued investment commercially sustainable.