TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
TimesEV
More
    HomeEV NewsIndia EV News1240 E-buses to hit Kolkata in Next 2 years, Major E-mobility Boom

    1240 E-buses to hit Kolkata in Next 2 years, Major E-mobility Boom

    West Bengal transport minister Firhad Hakim flagged off 10 E-buses, kick-starting the operating expenses (OPEX) model for E-buses services in the city under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME II) scheme. Hakim, who also drove one of the buses, offering transport principal secretary Rajesh Sinha and WBTC MD RVS Kapoor a ride, said he found it extremely simple to steer the vehicle.

    Tata Motors Electric’s vehicle division has also bagged the tender for 1,200 more electric buses for the city and the vehicles are supposed to arrive in phases over the next two years, said an official. Hakim said, “I, as the mayor of Kolkata, had pledged at Copenhagen that by 2030, we will take a paradigm shift to zero-emission mobility in the city. I am very happy that every day, we are taking baby steps towards that goal.” Around 480 of the 1,200 buses will be air-conditioned (AC) and the rest will be non-AC.

    The 10 buses launched on Wednesday are the first among 50 buses, which are manufactured by Delhi-based PMI Electro Mobility Solutions (PMIEMS). “Under the OPEX model, PMIEMS will operate, charge and maintain the vehicles at their own cost. We provide the conductor and the daily earnings will come to the government coffers. We will pay them Rs 86 per km,” Hakim told TOI after the inauguration. The rest of the 40 buses will be on the road by July end.

    OPEX was a win-win model for all—the government, commuters, and operators said a senior official. Unlike the CAPEX model, the government does not need to spend upfront for the buses. “We will pay them at a fixed rate for 5,000km. This private-public partnership in public transportation will be hugely beneficial for commuters. Because of the electric mobility, the fare will always be under check,” said the official.

    “The tender for 1,200 more electric buses for the city was bagged by Tata Motors Electric’s vehicle division. The buses will come to the city in phases over the next two years. The state needs to pay Rs 40 per km for each of those buses. This, we think, will be a game-changer in the public transport sector,” said a West Bengal Transport Corporation officer. Four hundred e-buses are expected to be on the road by the end of 2022 and the remaining 800 buses are to be delivered by 2023.

    Hakim said because of the record rise in fossil fuel prices, diesel-driven bus operations had become unsustainable. “Just by increasing fares, you cannot make it sustainable. How many times would you raise the fare? That’s why we started thinking of alternative fuels. Electric mobility just fitted the bill,” he said.

    The transport department is also planning to launch electric vessels on the Hooghly. The design and planning for the conversion of one electric ferry, accommodating approximately 100 passengers, were in progress and it was expected to be completed by the next few months, said a WBTC officer.

    Discussions for electric trolley bus, using existing tram electrical power infrastructure, is also in progress.

    Related Post

    Most Popular

    Best Picks

    Veridify, Overcoming the challenges of OT security in building automation with an STM32

    Despite popular belief, it is possible to secure legacy embedded systems properly, even if they lack today’s iron-clad cryptographic capabilities, the latest protections, or...

    Tsuyo’s Vision for Future Manufacturing: Incorporating Emerging Technologies and...

    Tsuyo Manufacturing is deeply committed to offering highly reliable, robust, and durable products designed to withstand a wide range of exposure and service conditions...

    Revamp Moto’s Vision for Advanced EV Features and Industry...

    Revamp Moto is a dynamic and forward-thinking electric vehicle (EV) startup, firmly committed to providing sustainable and adaptive E-mobility solutions. Their primary focus centres...

    ST and ZF sign multi-year supply agreement for Silicon...

    Silicon Carbide technology is widely used in semiconductor material which are easy to fabricate and provides good general electrical and mechanical properties. However, it...

    Exploring Electrochemical Properties: Unraveling Battery Performance and Behavior

    Automotive Test Systems stands as a trailblazing company with an extensive and diverse background in Product Validation, Structural Testing, Data Acquisition and Analysis, Vehicle...

    WISE Testing Solutions: Comprehensive Products and Services for Vehicle...

    WISE Testing Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a privately held company registered as a limited company, aims to provide a comprehensive range of products and services...

    Anton Paar: Revolutionizing EV Battery Testing with Standardization Initiatives

    Anton Paar, a distinguished company specializing in the development, production, and distribution of precision laboratory instruments and process measuring systems, alongside delivering customized automation...

    Exploring the Challenges and Testing Methods for Electric Vehicle...

    Aimil Ltd. is an esteemed organization celebrated for its exceptional expertise spanning multiple domains such as electric vehicle battery testing (both electrical and mechanical),...

    “The core idea behind u-blox has always been to...

    u-blox develops some of the world’s leading IoT communication and GNSS modules, chips and services supporting the industrial, automotive and consumer markets. Recently Andreas...

    Must Read