Indian highways to have 1.45 mn electric buses for interstate trips

Indian highway travel is all set for a green mobility shift in a big way. The government is gearing up to introduce around 1.25 million to 1.45 million electric buses on intercity and interstate routes all over the country, of which nearly 2,50,000 vehicles will be operated by various state transports.

A specific plan for the states to buy the requisite number of electric buses for long-distance service will soon be put together by the government.

Big vehicles such as buses that commute on long-distance routes mostly run on diesel, a fuel that emits major air pollutants, and the plan to accelerate their replacement with electric vehicles (EVs) is being seen as a major step towards reduction of emissions and, hence, pollution, on a pan-India level.

The government is considering the idea of giving incentives to operators in order to ensure the crossover from fuel to electricity takes place soon.

At the moment in India, buses running on electricity are almost entirely used for commuting in the cities, and these vehicles operate under the FAME-II India subsidy scheme, which spells out as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles.

Among advantages that electric buses provide as long-route journey options is the fact that these vehicles can run up to eight to nine hours non-stop, a senior government official told The Economic Times. As part of the drive to encourage long-distance electric buses, the government also plans to put in place the right kind of charging infrastructure along highways. These include fast-charging facilities along busy highways that connect the major cities.