Keto Motors has launched the Urbanova KE9, a 9-metre electric bus with a 150 km certified range, backed by a Rs 300 crore Telangana expansion and new EV fleet-tech partnerships.
Key points
- New Urbanova KE9 Of Keto Motors
- Urbanova KE9 Specifications
- Telangana Expansion With Rs 300 Crore
- KETO And The Fleet-Tech Partnerships
- For Bus Operators And Fleet Buyers
Telangana Expansion With Rs 300 CroreThe company, founded in 2018, handed over its first unit to an operating partner at the launch event, and says it's drawing on a founding team that was involved early on in building out India's electric bus ecosystem.
New Urbanova KE9 Of Keto Motors
Table of Contents
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1. New Urbanova KE9 Of Keto Motors |
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2. Urbanova KE9 Specifications |
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3. Telangana Expansion With Rs 300 Crore |
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4. KETO And The Fleet-Tech Partnerships |
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5. What This Means For Bus Operators And Fleet Buyers |
This isn't Keto Motors dabbling in a new category — the Urbanova KE9 is a genuine entry into electric buses a segment where India's fleet operators are increasingly weighing battery-electric models against diesel and CNG for city and institutional routes. It also lands at a time when ICRA projects alternative fuels could account for 45% of India's commercial vehicle market by FY2030 — electric buses being exactly the kind of segment that forecast leans on.
Urbanova KE9 Specifications
The Urbanova KE9 seats up to 31 passengers and carries a certified operating range of over 150 km under fully loaded conditions, with a top speed of 80 km/h. Safety and handling equipment includes electro-hydraulic power steering, anti-lock braking (ABS), regenerative braking and disc brakes all round. At 9 metres, it sits in the same size bracket as the EKA 9-metre electric school bus, giving fleet buyers in this segment a second serious option to weigh specs against before deciding.
Telangana Expansion With Rs 300 Crore
Production capacity is being built out to match the ambition. Under a memorandum of understanding signed with the Telangana government in December 2025, Keto Motors plans to invest around Rs 300 crore to expand its existing Jadcherla facility and set up a new greenfield plant at Telangana EV Mobility Valley. The expansion is aimed squarely at scaling up 9-metre electric bus production, and the company expects it to create more than 2,000 direct jobs over the next three years.
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KETO And The Fleet-Tech Partnerships
Alongside the vehicle itself, Keto Motors has introduced KETO Connected, a digital fleet management platform built with ROQIT that handles real-time vehicle health monitoring, battery analytics, remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance — the kind of software layer that increasingly decides how well an electric bus performs once it's actually in daily service, not just on a spec sheet. On the hardware side, the company has partnered with Taiwan's TRON Energy Technology for battery systems, powertrain technology and chassis engineering. The Urbanova KE9 has also cleared CMVR Type Approval certification from the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC), confirming it meets statutory safety and performance standards before it goes into commercial service.
For Bus Operators And Fleet Buyers
Venkatesh Challa, Director at Keto Motors, called the KE9 launch the start of the company's next growth phase, framing it as a step toward building a broader commercial mobility ecosystem rather than a one-off product launch — and the combination of a GARC-certified bus, a fleet-tech platform and a funded manufacturing expansion backs that framing up. For operators evaluating electric buses for city or institutional routes, the KE9's range and seating numbers are worth lining up directly against other 9-metre options using the bus comparison tool, and it's worth checking with your dealership on availability and delivery timelines given the manufacturing expansion is still ramping up.
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Frequently Asked Questions on Commercial Vehicles
Q1. What is the Keto Motors Urbanova KE9?
Ans. The Urbanova KE9 is a 9-metre battery-electric bus from Hyderabad-based Keto Motors, built for urban and institutional transport, with seating for up to 31 passengers.
Q2. What is the certified range of the Urbanova KE9?
Ans. The bus has a certified operating range of over 150 km under fully loaded conditions and a top speed of 80 km/h.
Q3. What safety features does the Urbanova KE9 come with?
Ans. It comes with electro-hydraulic power steering, anti-lock braking system (ABS), regenerative braking and disc brakes, and holds CMVR Type Approval certification from GARC.
Q4. What is Keto Motors' Telangana expansion plan?
Ans. Keto Motors is investing around Rs 300 crore to expand its Jadcherla facility and set up a new greenfield plant at Telangana EV Mobility Valley, aimed at scaling 9-metre electric bus production and creating over 2,000 direct jobs within three years.
Q5. What is KETO Connected?
Ans. KETO Connected is Keto Motors' digital fleet management platform, developed with ROQIT, offering real-time vehicle health monitoring, battery analytics, remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance.