Indian’s largest bus OEM, Tata Motors has announced the delivery of 40 brand new all-electric buses to the State Road Transport Corporation of Jammu and Kashmir. The manufacturer has also installed charging stations for fast charging of busses.
Tata Motors has supplied 40 units of 9 metre, 900mm floor height non-AC buses to Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC). 20 buses in Jammu were inaugurated earlier, and another 20 have now been added to the fleet.
Governor of Jammu, Shri Satya Pal Malik, flagged off the buses, in the presence of Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises with other dignitaries from JKSRTC and Tata Motors at an event held in the city. Bilal Ahmed Bhatt, Managing director, JKSRTC said, “The need for a cleaner, smarter and safer mode of transportation is a prerequisite for Jammu and Kashmir, due to the alarming rise of air pollution in the city. Tata Motors has pioneered technological innovations in the bus segment with an in-depth understanding of different market conditions, making it a perfect fit for us. Tata Motors will be delivering 40 e-buses, which will soon ply on the roads of Jammu and Kashmir. We look forward to continue this association.”
Tata Motors manufactured the ‘Ultra Electric’ buses at their Dharwad plant, and the coaches have a range of 150kilometres on a single charge. The buses have been developed indigenously and have a lithium-ion battery pack which are placed on the roof of the vehicle to prevent breakdowns due to waterlogging. The batteries are liquid-cooled and designed to operate in tropical regions and the cooling system will keep the batteries in optimum temperature ensuring a long life of the battery. The busses are said to operate in the state of Jammu and Kashmir only and some of them will be even plying on difficult terrains of the Jammu to Katra (Vaishno Devi) route, in addition to plying in the valleys of Srinagar.
The Ultra Electric buses are powered by an electric motor-generator that is built on the same platform as the Starbus and Ultra. The motor is capable of generating 245kW (333hp) and continuous power of 145kW (197hp). The 31 passenger bus is said to be equipped with air suspension at the front and rear axles for enhanced ride comfort.
The company has tenders to supply 255 electric buses to six public transport undertakings including WBTC (West Bengal), LCTSL (Lucknow), AICTSL (Indore), ASTC (Guwahati), JKSRTC (Jammu) and JCTSL (Jaipur). In addition to this, the company is also working on developing its electric mini-bus segment in the near future.
