Hyderabad’s First Batch Of ‘User-Friendly’ Electric Buses Become Operational

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has launched its first batch of electric buses, The Hans India has reported. Five zero emission eBuzz K 9 Model buses were flagged off by Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Ajay Mishra and Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Arvind Kumar. These buses are part of 40 AC electric buses under which had been awarded on Gross Cost Contract basis.

The buses were manufactured in India by Olectra Greentech (Formerly Goldstone Infratech) in collaboration with BYD Auto Industry Co. Ltd. BYD is the world’s largest electric vehicle company. Each bus has been provided with a subsidy of Rs 1 crore under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme by the Department of Heavy Industry.

The inducted buses are 12-metres-long and have a 39-passenger capacity. The kneeling mechanism in the bus provides convenience for the elderly and physically disabled people to get in and out. The buses can travel up to 250 kilometres with a single charge. The bus also has a regenerative braking system that helps it to recover part of the kinetic energy lost during braking.