India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors, delivered 35 electric buses, as a part of the larger order of 340 electric buses, to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).
The 35-seater Tata Starbus electric AC buses were flagged off by the Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, in the presence of officials from the Maharashtra state government, BEST, and Tata Motors, at an event at Mahim, Mumbai, the company said in a press release.
BEST procures the buses under the government of India’s FAME II initiative, and the delivery is a part of the first-ever Gross Cost Contract (GCC) by the transport corporation. Tata Motors will be undertaking to build, deploy, maintain and operate the complete charging infrastructure along with the buses.
The company will deliver the rest of the order in a phased manner, as per the schedule.
The 12-metre long, 35-seater Tata Starbus AC electric buses are equipped with features such as ‘Lift Mechanism’ that extends an automated ramp for easy ingress and egress of specially-abled passengers, along with ergonomic seats, roomy interiors, utility provisions like charging ports, and wide entry and exit passages.
The full-electric buses come with Intelligent Transport System (ITS), telematics system, regenerative braking system, amongst other features for efficient and smooth operations. In addition, the buses have been extensively tested and validated by the OEM across varied terrains and conditions and are engineered to deliver high performance standards.
Lokesh Chandra, General Manager, BEST Undertaking, said the transport corporation’s vision of introducing more and more electric buses will go a long way in reducing the tailpipe emissions and benefit millions of Mumbaikars.
Rohit Srivastava, Vice President, Product Line – Buses, Tata Motors, said the delivery of these buses will further fortify the company’s partnership with BEST and help in environment-friendly mass mobility for the city of Mumbai.