Starting next month, the GreenCell Mobility, which offers electric mobility as a service platform, would run the first intercity e-bus for Maharashtra Regional State Transport (MSRTC) from Pune.
Marking the commemoration day of MSRTC’s foundation, the bus would be running on the Pune-Ahmednagar route on June 1. These electric buses, named as ‘Shivai’ will be introduced across the state in stages.
GreenCell Mobility would be deploying 50 such electric buses for intercity travel for MSRTC from Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nasik and Solapur soon.
Ashok Agarwal, MD and CEO, GreenCell Mobility, said in a statement, “ With these e-bus, the aim is to promote green and sustainable public transport in the State. We are very happy to partner MSRTC in this effort and look forward to providing passengers with a comfortable, safer, and greener way of travel.”
GreenCell Mobility will create ‘green routes’ with twelve-meter buses in the State. Over the time, ten buses will ply between Pune and Aurangabad as an extension of the Pune-Ahmednagar route; while 12 will run on the Pune–Kolhapur; 18 between Pune–Nasik and ten between Pune-Solapur.
On a single charge, these buses will be able to run 250 km, and will be fitted with Li-ion battery with fast charging capability (90-120 minutes). There will be Standard Luxury coaches’ suitable for local transport and will have an air-conditioned cabin. A total of 3,743 tonnes of CO2 zero tailpipe emissions would be avoided over lifetime of these buses.
Electric bus adoption has gained traction across multiple cities with the state governments having embarked on the journey of electrifying their bus-based transport system. This has been further accelerated by the Centre’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) Phase – II scheme.