Convergence Energy Services (CESL) has floated a tender for procuring 5,690 electric buses (eBuses). Notably, this is the first tender under the National Electric Bus Programme, which aims to effect the deployment of 50,000 eBuses across the country.
Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Telangana, and Arunachal Pradesh are the states, where these procured buses will be deployed in, confirmed Mahua Acharya, MD and CEO, CESL expressing her gratitude towards the states participating in the tender.
“At a national level, I am very encouraged by the demand for eBuses – and appeal to suppliers to enhance production and financiers to come forth. I am also very happy that Arunachal Pradesh has joined us,” she said.
This request for proposal (RFP) comes after CESL was mandated by NITI Aayog under then CEO, Amitabh Kant, to implement a national programme of 50,000 eBuses. Earlier, CESL had run a ten-month-long process that gave rise to a unified tender with homogenised terms and conditions.
The tender process, which saw participation of five cities under the FAME subsidy programme, discovered prices that were 27% and 25% lower than diesel and CNG respectively, without considering the subsidy, said a release from CESL.
Demand For Three Types Of eBuses
The tender is based on terms and conditions standardised through the Grand Challenge process. It contains a demand for three types of eBuses – 7m, 9m, and 12m in length – on a gross cost contracting basis, requesting bidders to quote a price per km for operating services over 12 years – a model that is quickly becoming a standard in India.
Uniquely, this tender also integrates the ambitious targets and vision set by the Prime Minister and calls for operators to manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. If emissions are to be offset, operators must purchase from projects in India. The tender establishes the requirement of using 25% women as drivers, depot, and factory staff.
“While we are implementing our vision to move India to electric mobility, it is my dream to see that one day, all these buses will be charged using renewable energy. I am sure that if we all put in our best, even this dream will come true,” Acharya noted.
CESL also shared that the earlier “Grand Challenge” based tender for 5,450 eBuses had met great success. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, recently speaking at the INSIGHT 2022 conference offered his support from his Ministry in this national effort to transform the public bus system to electric.
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