VIJAYAWADA: New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) Limited has decided to convert internal combustion engine (ICE) auto-rickshaws in Vijayawada and its suburban areas into electric ones through retrofitment of electric kits. Initially, 50 ICE auto-rickshaws will be turned into electric three-wheelers and the corporation has invited bids from interested parties for the implementation of the initiative.
According to the bid documents floated on Friday, the NREDCAP has stated that the State has about six lakh ICE auto-rickshaws, which consume lakhs of litres of petrol/diesel/CNG everyday and emit carbon gases, raising health and environmental issues. As retrofitment of existing vehicles will be the lowest cost option to turn them into e-vehicles, besides helping them in optimisation of resource utilisation, NREDCAP floated the bids.
The developer will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of electric retrofit kits for three-wheeler ICE passenger auto-rickshaws with swappable batteries and to operate swapping stations in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and its suburban limits.It may be recalled that the corporation is also in the process of converting auto fleet in Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and other cities on pilot basis as a part of ‘Go Electric’ campaign with financial support from Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
“The NREDCAP will invest Rs 1.52 lakh or 70 per cent per of each auto’s conversion cost, whichever is lower, to convert ICE auto-rickshaws into electric ones with swappable batteries and swapping infrastructure. The developer shall also invest balance amount and operate the swapping stations and maintain the electric autos for a period of five years,” the bid document said.
The last date of filing the bids is September 16, following which the corporation will go for reverse auctioning. The date of submission may be extended depending on the response.The developer will also identify the interested autorickshaw drivers and conduct route survey for identification of suitable locations for establishment of swapping stations, and operate swapping stations in the selected routes in municipal corporation and suburban limits for a period of five years on turnkey basis.