Delhi govt plans to expand fleet; seeks 3,300 more e-buses

According to the proposal, the fleet will include buses of three different sizes to cater to diverse road conditions and passenger demand.

The Delhi government plans to procure 3,330 additional electric buses under phase 2 of the Centre’s PM E-DRIVE scheme, to expand the capital’s public transport fleet and increase electric bus deployment across the city.

While the DEVi buses are 9 metres long, the government has sought 7-metre ones for better access to internal roads. (Hindustan Times)

The transport department on Saturday has submitted a detailed proposal to Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a central public sector undertaking responsible for e-mobility procurement and charging infrastructure.

According to the proposal, the fleet will include buses of three different sizes to cater to diverse road conditions and passenger demand. This includes 500 seven-metre buses, 2,330 nine-metre buses and 500 twelve-metre buses. The entire fleet will be low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses.

The Delhi government currently operates 12-metre buses and has recently introduced smaller nine-metre buses under its DEVi initiative. If approved, this will be the first time that the government will operate the smaller seven-metre buses made for narrow lanes and last-mile connectivity.

Officials said the proposal follows a recent meeting between Delhi government representatives and CESL, during which it was agreed to seek an enhanced allocation of electric buses for the capital. The proposed procurement is in addition to the 2,800 buses already sanctioned for Delhi under phase 1 of the PM E-DRIVE scheme.

“We will operate the nine-metre buses for feeder routes and smaller roads and 12-metre buses for arterial roads and high-demand corridors,” said a transport department official.

The Delhi government has requested the Ministry of Heavy Industries to extend subsidy support for the additional fleet under the PM E-DRIVE model. According to officials, the government has also conveyed its willingness to bear the cost independently if any technical or administrative issues delay subsidy approval, in order to ensure timely procurement.

At present, Delhi operates 5,336 government buses, of which 3,535 are electric. The electric fleet includes 1,162 nine-metre DEVI buses, 2,273 twelve-metre buses and 100 feeder buses. Officials said that more than 5,000 electric buses are expected to be in operation by March 2026. With the induction of 2,800 buses under phase 1, the total fleet size is projected to increase to 10,430 buses. Following the proposed phase 2 procurement of 3,330 buses, the total fleet would rise to 13,760 buses.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme, launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Heavy Industries with a budget of ₹10,900 crore, aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles across India, including e-buses, e-trucks and smaller EVs.