Goldstone Infratech Ltd has bagged an order for supply of 25 pure electric buses from the Himachal Road Transport Corporation to be deployed in the scenic hilly tracts of the Manali-Rohtang-Manali section. The order is valued at Rs 47.75 crore and excludes annual maintenance costs.

The 110-km stretch, which is equivalent to nearly 150-160 km on plain terrain, has a gradient of 20 per cent and takes up to an altitude of 13,000 ft in the sub-zero temperatures. The journey is to be completed on a single charge of the batteries mounted on the buses.

The Hyderabad-based company, which has tied up with the Chinese electric bus major BYD, the largest manufacturer and supplier of pure electric buses, has also bagged an order for supply of six such electric buses from the Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, Mumbai.

The company is in the process of negotiating with several other states for supply of similar buses in both urban locations and in environmentally sensitive areas.

P.K. Srivastava, Head, e-bus Division, Goldstone Infratech Ltd, said, “Goldstone Infratech's tie-up with BYD for pure electric buses in India is a path breaking milestone, which will go a long way as a green energy initiative and will be adopted by a number of states to combat pollution issues.”

Through the association, Goldstone plans to assemble these buses in tie-up with BYD, which will be designed in India. The body will also be built in the country.

These electric buses are seen to promote public transport by providing superior customer experience with lower noise and zero emission.

BYD, part of BYD Auto of China, a public listed company, is the largest manufacturer of pure electric buses. It not only works on buses but also has its own technologies for batteries that power these buses and other electric powered automotives.

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