BMTC to double its EV fleet & establish new charging infra by 2025

Following the achievement of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) of deploying more than 1000 e-buses in the state, the corporation is now planning to double its EV fleet and set up a new charging station by 2025, the Hindu reported.

At present, the BMTC has 1027 e-buses among its fleet of 6,158 buses. The charging stations are intended to be set up at the resting places of drivers. 

Citing a senior BMTC official the Hindu reported, “We have already installed EV chargers at various depots in the city. With the anticipated increase in electric buses, we are planning to set up additional EV charging stations at Traffic and Transit Management Centres (TTMCs), depots, and locations where the bus crew takes a break. Drivers are provided with a 45-minute charge window during their break, allowing buses to recharge easily.”

Bought under the FAME-2 scheme, the fleet of state electric buses comprises 637 buses, made by Tata Motors subsidiary TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Limited. In addition, the BMTC also runs 90 nine-meter-long e-buses built by the JBM Group under the Smart Cities Mission and 300 12-meter-long e-buses made by Ashok Leyland subsidiary Switch Mobility under the FAME-II Scheme.

All of the fleet's electric buses are non-air-conditioned and were purchased using a gross cost contract (GCC) arrangement, in which the manufacturers supply the driving staff and handle vehicle maintenance.

The running of these 1,000 electric buses has saved 51,000 litres of diesel and avoided the production of 1.38 lakh kg of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per day, officials added, demonstrating the initiative's immediate environmental benefits. Because these EV buses don't release smoke or dangerous gases into the atmosphere, they drastically cut emissions every day.