The electric mobility as a service platform, GreenCell Mobility, announced its plan to run its first intercity e-bus for Maharashtra Regional State Transport (MSRTC) on June 1, 2022, on the Pune- Ahmednagar route.
Dubbed ‘Shivai’, the busses will be introduced across the state in stages, an official statement from the company stated.
It continued that the plan is to deploy 50 of these twelve-meter electric buses for intercity travel across Maharashtra for MSRTC, including ten buses between Pune and Aurangabad as an extension of the Pune- Ahmednagar route, 12 buses on the Pune – Kolhapur route, 18 buses operating between Pune – Nasik and ten buses between Pune- Solapur.
Ashok Agarwal, MD & CEO, GreenCell Mobility, said, 'With these e-bus, the aim is to promote green and sustainable public transport in the state.”
The buses come with a claimed range of 250 km on a single charge and will be fitted with a Li-ion battery with fast charging capability (90-120 minutes).
Electric bus adoption has gained traction in India, and multiple cities, with state governments, have embarked on electrifying their bus-based transport system, the company said.
This has been further accelerated by the Government of India’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) Phase–II scheme.