The type has been intentionally developed to support use on secondary lines without limiting power or speed performances, making it suitable for mixed traffic operations.

Furthermore, an electro-diesel locomotive derivative of the UKLight that shares much of its design, referred to as the Stadler Euro Dual, has also been developed and introduced during the late 2010s.

For further fuel savings, automated stop-start technology has been incorporated to shut the engine down at times of inactivity and restart when required or to keep coolant temperatures above a set threshold; this behaviour can be manually overridden by the driver if desired.

[3][4] Implementing such equipment in some regions can be complicated by the need to adhere to restrictive loading gauges, such as that predominantly used in the United Kingdom; accordingly extensive redesigning may be required.

[5] The drive electronics incorporate features such as fault condition detection and anti-slip control to maximise wheel adhesion to the rails, the latter being augmented by an automated sanding system.

[15] During July 2015, the Italian operator Dinazzano Po ordered a single unit;[16] the locomotive performed its maiden freight service during April 2018.

[17] On 31 July 2019, it was announced that the Spanish railway infrastructure company ADIF had ordered 22 Eurolight locomotives for rescue purposes;[18] these vehicles are compliance with the European Stage IIIB emissions standards and feature a facelift over earlier production examples.

[19] On 5 January 2012, Direct Rail Services announced an order for fifteen 160 km/h (100 mph) EuroLight UK locos for intermodal and passenger work with a 2.8 MW (3,800 hp) C175-16 engine to be delivered in 2013, with options for more.

[20] They were designed to fit the small loading gauge in the UK, and were manufactured at Vossloh España's plant in Valencia, Spain, with an expected delivery date of late 2013.

[20][31] During October 2019, the Taiwan Railway Administration awarded a €165M order to supply 34 AsiaLight locomotives; the deal was Stadler's first major tender win in the Asia Pacific region.