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While the auto industry focuses on improving personal mobility, we have to admit that the population that depends on public transport is huge and local buses cater to the needs of many. But the world is moving towards greener transportation options. If there are to be buses plying our roads, they need to be running on clean energy. Comes in the electric bus and good news is that India now has a locally manufactured electric bus. However, auto giants like Tata Motors have also been working on their own electric buses, which will run on clean energy and offer premium public transportation options. Here's a look at how far has the country come along in the field:
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Goldstone eBuzz K7: Goldstone Infratech Limited's electric bus eBuzz K7 was commercially launched and put in use by the Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation, becoming India's first electric bus to enter the public transport sector. The eBuzz K7 plys on the Kullu-Manali-Rohtang Pass route in Himachal Pradesh and has a 25+1 seating layout. Considering it has been employed by Himachal, it should be able to tackle incline. The company claims that it has been tested for steep gradients and delivers a range of 200 km on one full charge. The bus uses Lithium Iron Phosphate battery that takes about four hours to charge.
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Ashok Leyland Versa EV: Ashok Leyland unveiled the Versa EV from its UK arm Optare plc, at the Bus & Special Vehicles Show organised by SIAM (Society of Automobile Manufacturers) in 2015. The brand suggests that the bus will be ideal for feeder, airport tarmac and intra-city applications. It is available in lengths of 9.7m, 10.4m, 11.1m and 11.8m. The Versa EV features regenerative braking, integrated charging points and on-board Wi-Fi. The electric powertrain produces 200 hp at 500 rpm and 600 Nm at 500 rpm and has automatic transmission.
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JBM Ecolife: JBM Auto got into a joint venture with Poland's Solaris Bus & Coach SA last year for manufacturing electric and hybrid buses. The brand showcased an electric bus Ecolife at the 2016 Auto Expo. The bus is powered by a lithium batteries and delivers abot 150-200 km on one full charge in 10-15 hrs of city operation. Once it gets into commercial production, Ecolife will be the second indigenous mass public transport product from JBM Group, the company has said. Solaris is one of the major manufacturers of buses and low-floor trams in Europe.
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