Green shoots of Sustainability in Himachal. Tender for 220 Electric Buses to be Floated soon

Sustainability is finally dawning in Himachal too. In a massive push for Electric Vehicles, the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh is ready to float it’s first tender for procuring 220 Electric Buses in the coming two weeks.

According to a senior government official, the buses will operate from Shimla and Dharamshala, both under the central government’s smart city project. The central government will bear 60% of the cost under the new government scheme. PMI and Chinese Beiqi Forton Motors have partnered for marketing and sales of buses in India. These buses have the option of fast charging and can withstand heavy ridership on the steep hills of Himachal Pradesh, the company said in a statement.

“We are planning to float the tender for 220 electric buses within a fortnight for Shimla and Dharamsala,” Himachal Road Transport Corporation Chief General Manager H K Gupta told a wire agency. This will help the overall pollution levels in the state to go down and EVs will also reduce the oil import bills.

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) headquartered in Shimla has already invested Rs 23 crore to acquire 30 electric buses that will ply in Shimla for public transport. The tender was awarded to Foton-PMI. Seven bidders participated in the pre-bid process and the likes of Ashok Leyland and Olectra were quoted as the lowest bidders, “As per the tender condition they have to supply buses to us in 4-6 months. People in Shimla will have access to these pollution-free buses within six months,” Gupta confirmed.

As per the report, Foton-PMI quoted the lowest price of Rs 76.97 lakh per bus including GST. These buses use lithium manganese oxide battery and the company says that it can cover a distance of 150 kilometers on a 30 min charge.

“We are using the fast charger and lithium manganese oxide battery which is highly advanced. The battery can be charged in about half an hour that will enable the bus to cover a distance of 150 km,” PMI Electro Mobility, Executive Director, Aman Garg said.

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