Olectra Greentech to supply electric buses to TSRTC

Olectra Greentech Limited, a subsidiary of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), has been awarded a contract to supply 550 pure electric buses to the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC). The order is the largest single order for electric buses in South India and a significant milestone in Telangana’s push for large-scale clean, green public transportation.

According to the contract, Olectra will supply 50 standard-floor 12-metre intercity coach e-buses and 500 low-floor 12-metre intracity e-buses to TSRTC. The 50 intercity coach e-buses will travel between Hyderabad in Telangana and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, covering a distance of more than 325 km on a single charge. The 500 intracity e-buses will ply within Hyderabad, with each bus able to travel more than 225 km on a single charge. All the buses will be charged at fast charging stations to ensure optimal performance.

TSRTC has allotted five depots in the twin cities for the deployment and operations of these e-buses, which will be delivered in phases soon. Olectra’s association with TSRTC began in March 2019, when they supplied 40 e-buses for the airport shuttle service in Hyderabad. Four years later, Olectra has once again partnered with TSRTC for the delivery of 550 e-buses.

This order is an important step for Telangana’s plans to make 3,400 electric buses available across the state in the next two years. The move towards electric mobility is in line with the Indian government’s push for cleaner transportation options to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Olectra is also operating electric buses with various State Transport Undertakings (STU), such as Pune (PMPML), Mumbai (BEST), Gandhi Nagar (GSRTC), Thane, Goa, Deharadun, Surat, Ahmedabad, Silvasa, Nagpur, etc.

Recently, Olectra announced that it will launch its Hydrogen Bus, in technical partnership with Reliance. These 12-metre hydrogen buses are designed to offer a sustainable and eco-friendly mode of transport. It is equipped with a customisable seating capacity ranging from 32 to 49 seats for passengers, in addition to one driver seat. The bus is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, travels up to 400 km in a single hydrogen fill, and takes just about 15 minutes to refill.

According to RTC sources, in the order given to Olectra, 50 electric buses, can cover a distance of 325 kilometers in one charge to ply on city roads. Apart from this, 500 more buses can cover a distance of 225 km on a single charge.

In addition to reducing environmental pollution and fuel use, RTC is taking steps to increase the use of electronic buses to control costs. These buses are air-conditioned, soundless and have been allotted for five different depots in the city. The Telangana Road Transport Corporation has decided to run 500 electric buses in five depots of HMDA limits.