India’s first electric AC double-decker bus to run on city streets this week

The BEST was expecting this bus to join its fleet in September 2022, which, however, got delayed. The manufacturer, on the other hand, stated that the delivery schedule was much on time and they said that Mumbai will start getting these buses this month

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)’s latest fleet of India’s first AC double-decker electric buses are all set to run on the streets of Mumbai this week. BEST received possession of these buses late Sunday evening.

India’s first electric AC double-decker bus to run on city streets this week

After monitoring the buses and running a few tests, BEST will roll out the services for passengers. The general manager of BEST, Lokesh Chandra said, “To begin with, we will put one bus into operation during the week.”

In August last year, this double-decker e-bus manufactured by Switch Mobility was first launched by union minister Nitin Gadkari.

The BEST was expecting this bus to join its fleet in September 2022, which, however, got delayed. The manufacturer, on the other hand, stated that the delivery schedule was much on time and they said that Mumbai will start getting these buses this month.

The apparent reason stated by the authorities and the manufacturer was a delay in receiving the necessary certifications from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The first batch is expected to be of 10 of these buses and gradually its numbers will increase. The cost of each bus is ₹2 crore and each bus can carry around 90 passengers.

The induction of these 200 buses will not only reduce BEST’s carbon footprint by 41% but will also save them 26 million litres of diesel per year. As this AC double-decker electric buses; are one of a kind, these buses underwent a lot more monitoring and tests. Once the first bus arrives, the BEST engineers too will inspect the bus for the next couple of days before starting it for public use.

The Switch EiV22, the model’s name, has a 231-kWh battery with a range of up to 250 km. An operational run of 160-180 km can be expected owing to factors like vehicular traffic, weather conditions etc. The bus can gain a 100 km of range with just a 45-minute charge, while a full charge takes 80 minutes. Its body is of composite aluminium and is more stable as 300-400 kilograms of batteries are part of the chassis and close to the tyres.