The bus itself has been Made-in-India by Tata Motors and Tata Marcopolo Dharwad plant. The Ultra Electric Buses have a travelling range of up to 150 km on a single charge. Fast Charging Stations have been installed at Lucknow’s Alambagh depot for fast charging of buses. The indigenously developed bus, including one of a kind roof-mounted batteries that will be protected even in the event that the bus must ply through waterlogged streets. In addition, the batteries are liquid cooled to maintain the temperature within an optimum range and ensure longer life along with better performance in tropical conditions.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rohit Srivastava, Product Line Head – Passenger Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors has always been at the forefront of the E-mobility evolution and this order is a testament of our best-in-class solution tailored for the bus segment in India. The order is part of the 255 e-buses to be supplied to six STUs in the country, of which LCTSL is one. Our in-depth understanding of sustainable public transport for different markets and customers is what differentiates us from our competitors. We are determined to develop alternate fuel technologies and create more energy efficient vehicles supporting the government’s efforts for promoting electric vehicles in the country.”
On the inside, leaving the fact that the buses will be largely silent courtesy the lack of ICEs, the buses will be airconditioned and have seats for 31 passengers. As an industry first, there will be air suspension for both front and rear axles to make travel more comfortable for the commuters. Integrated electric motor generator with a peak power of 333HP can deliver 197HP continuously ensuring effortless driving in congested roads and frequent start stops needing no shifting of gears. The buses have been tested and validated by Tata Motors across states including Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Assam and Maharashtra to establish performance in diverse terrains.
In totality, these 40 buses are part of a total order of 255 electric buses that will be supplied to six public transport undertakings including WBTC (West Bengal), LCTSL (Lucknow), AICTSL (Indore), ASTC (Guwahati), J&KSRTC (Jammu) and JCTSL (Jaipur). In addition to this, the company is also working on developing its electric mini-bus segment in the near future.