Tata Motors has bagged a contract of 300 electric buses by Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd (AJL) under the government’s FAME scheme, the biggest order so far as part of the e-mobility drive in the country. Janmarg, also known as Ahmedabad BRTS, is a bus rapid transit system in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is operated by AJL, a subsidiary of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and others. The company will supply urban 9/9 electric model of buses which will run in Ahmedabad’s BRTS corridor, Tata Motors said in a statement, adding that it will also be setting up the required infrastructure, including fast charging and support system.
The Mumbai-based automaker had delivered over 200 electric buses under the phase one of the faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid & electric vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme.
Girish Wagh, president, CV business unit at Tata Motors, said, this is the largest tender of e-buses in the country. “The ultra electric buses are indigenously developed to offer superior design and best-in-class features,” Wagh said.
Tata Motors had earlier delivered electric buses to various state transport units (STUs) including Lucknow, Kolkata, Indore, Guwahati, and Jammu as part of the FAME I tender. Others who have delivered e-buses in the past include Ashok Leyland, Olectra Greentech and JBM Auto.
Earlier this year, the government had allocated `10,000-crore programme under the second phase of the FAME India scheme to provide subsidies for all category of electric vehicles. The scheme covered 7,000 buses, out of which around 5,500 electric buses in 64 cities have been sanctioned for intra-city and inter-city operations. FAME I had a total outlay of `895 crore.
Electric vehicles account for less than 2% of the total vehicles sold in India, with lack of suitable charging infrastructure being the main deterrent. Although, the government has promised subsidies to companies building the charging stations, high costs involved in making them and low volumes are keeping the firms on the back foot.
