NEW DELHI: The Delhi cabinet on Friday approved the proposal for the engagement of 300 Low Floor Fully Electric Air Conditioned buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). The buses will be procured under the ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) Phase-II’ Scheme of the Government of India.
“The engagement of electric buses in the DTC fleet on the OPEX Model is a major policy shift as regards the operation of buses by DTC. So far DTC has been operating only the buses owned by it. Electric-powered buses are being inducted into the DTC for the first time. The induction of 300 electric buses by DTC at a time is one of the largest engagements of electric buses by any state government or state transport undertaking (STU),” said the officials.
Under the scheme, the buses would be able to operate for a minimum of 140 km in a single charge. The operator will provide the drivers while DTC will depute its conductors. The cost of electricity consumption for operating these buses will be borne by DTC up to an energy efficiency of 1.4 kWh/km.
“The amount towards excess consumption of electricity for more than 1.4 kWh/km efficiency will be recovered from the operator. The cost of charging infrastructure, including the cost of charging equipment and transformer, etc. will be borne by the operator,” said the official.