VIJAYAWADA: In another step towards the introduction of electric buses in the State, the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) issued letter of award to Olectra Greentech Limited (Olectra) and Evey Trans Private Limited (EVEY) for supply of 100 e-buses under the FAME-II scheme of the Government of India.
The 100 e-buses will be supplied on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model basis for 12 years. Under the contract, valued at Rs 140 crore, the buses shall be delivered over a period of 12 months. During the contract period, Olectra will undertake the maintenance of the buses. These buses shall be deployed at Alipiri depot in Tirupati. Of the 100 buses, 50 will ply on Tirumala-Tirupati ghat road and the remaining will ply to Nellore, Kadapa and Madanapalle as intercity buses.
KV Pradeep, chairman and managing director of Olectra Greentech Limited, said, “We are blessed and happy to serve the devotees travelling to see Lord Sri Venkateshwara on the Tirumala-Tirupati Ghat road. Olectra is proud to operate its state-of-the-art electric buses.Our buses will contribute to preserving the rich ecology of Sheshachala forest and the Tirumala hills.’’
“We are sure that our 100 buses will be successful in AP like in other states. Our E-buses have proved their reliability and efficiency. They are successfully running in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Surat, Dehradun, Silvassa, Goa, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala,” he added.
These nine-meter AC buses have a seating capacity of 35. The electronically controlled air suspension ensures a comfortable ride. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, an emergency button, and USB sockets for each seat. The bus has a regenerative braking system which allows the bus to recover part of the kinetic energy lost in braking. The high-power AC & DC charging system enables the battery to recharge fully in 3-4 hours.
Olectra e-buses have completed over 4 crore km on Indian roads and reduced CO2 emissions by around 35,700 tonnes till now. Olectra has delivered over 400 buses to various States as of date. The Olectra bus has entered the Limca Book of Records by travelling through the hilly terrain of Manali-Rohtang pass.