Tata Motors starts supply of 40 Electric buses to Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL)
Reaffirming its commitment towards E-mobility in the country, India’s leading bus brand, Tata Motors after Lucknow (LCTSL) and Kolkata (WBTC) has recently started the supply of 40 units of the Ultra 9m AC Electric buses to the Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL) in a phased manner and will be delivered over the next 02 months. The first Ultra 9/9m AC Electric bus for Madhya Pradesh was recently flagged off in Indore by Shri. Jaivardhan Singh – Cabinet Minister of Urban Development Minister and Housing, Shri Jitu Patwari – Cabinet Minister for Higher Education, Sports and Youth Affairs of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Ashish Singh – Commissioner Indore Municipal Corporation Indore, Mr. Sandeep Soni – CEO, Atal Indore City Transport Service Limited (AICTSL) along with dignitaries from Tata Motors.
Mr. Rohit Srivastava, Product Line Head – Passenger Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors has always been at the forefront of the E-mobility evolution and this order to India’s cleanest city is a testament of our best-in-class solution tailored for the bus segment in India. The order is part of the 255 e-buses to be supplied to six STUs in the country, of which AICTSL is one. Our in-depth understanding of sustainable public transport for different markets and customers is what differentiates us from our competitors. We are determined to develop alternate fuel technologies and create more energy efficient vehicles thereby supporting the government’s efforts towards promoting electric vehicles in the country.”
Manufactured at Tata Motors and Tata Marcopolo Dharwad plants, the Ultra Electric buses will have a traveling range of up to 150 kilometers on a single charge. The company has installed a charging station at the Indore main bus depot for fast charging of buses. The indigenously developed vehicle offers superior design with state-of-the-art features. Li-ion batteries have been placed on the rooftop to prevent breakdown due to waterlogging. The batteries are liquid cooled to maintain the temperature within an optimum range and ensure longer life along with better performance in tropical conditions.
Dr. A.K. Jindal, Head Engineering (Electric & Defence), CVBU, Tata Motors said, “Tata Motors has been engaging in advanced engineering and development of electric traction system for Hybrid as well as Pure Electric vehicles for over a decade. The Ultra Electric Bus is a new modular platform which has been developed in a very short lead time of less than a year, leveraging the knowledge and experience we have gained and demonstrating our commitment to the Government of India’s National Electric Mobility Mission Plan for Public Transport. The architecture of the platform has been conceived and developed by the in-house engineering team of Tata Motors, meeting the requirement of various tenders floated by individual state transport undertakings. The exterior has been designed with our new brand identity that includes stylized Ultra headlamps and streamlined looks. The vehicle architecture ensures very low energy consumption and low TCO (total cost of operation) apart from being a Zero Emission environment friendly bus.”
The Ultra Electric buses are air-conditioned, have modern interiors and comfortable seats for 31 passengers. As an industry first, there will be air suspension for both front and rear axles to make travel more comfortable for the commuters. Integrated electric motor generator with a peak power of 333HP can deliver 197HP continuously ensuring effortless driving in congested roads and frequent start stops needing no shifting of gears. The critical electrical traction components have been sourced from internationally known best-in-class suppliers in USA, Germany and China offering proven products. The buses have been tested and validated by Tata Motors across states including Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Assam and Maharashtra to establish performance in diverse terrains. The company has tenders to supply 255 electric buses to six public transport undertakings including WBTC (West Bengal), LCTSL (Lucknow), AICTSL (Indore), ASTC (Guwahati), J&KSRTC (Jammu) and JCTSL (Jaipur). In addition to this, the company is also working on developing its electric mini-bus segment in the near future.
