The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has awarded the largest single order for a total of 550 pure electric buses from South India to Olectra Greentech Limited, which is a subsidiary of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL).
The order is being seen as significant step for Telangana’s electric mobility initiative towards having a large-scale clean, green public transportation.
The 50 intercity coach e-buses, which are fully air-conditioned and can travel a distance of more than 325 km on a single charge, will operate between the Hyderabad and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. In the intracity segment, the 500 e-buses will ply within Hyderabad with each e-bus having a capacity to travel a distance of more than 225 km on a single charge.
The TSRTC has already allotted five depots in the twin cities for the deployment and operations of these e-buses.
The electric buses will lower operating costs for TSRTC, as they will be charged at fast charging stations to ensure optimal performance.
Chairman, TSRTC, Bajireddy Govardhan said, “Electric buses have
been procured to protect the environment. The TSRTC has plans to make 3,400 electric buses available across Telangana in the next two years. The e-buses will also significantly reduce the noise and emission levels”.
The Managing Director, TSRTC VC Sajjanar said, “We are hoping make electric buses available across Hyderabad by March 2025 and we are working on it. In the first phase we are going to deploy 550 Olectra e-buses. All these buses will come into use in stages”.
The CMD of Olectra Greentech Limited, K.V. Pradeep said, “We won the order to supply 50 standard floor 12-metre intercity coach e-buses and 500 low floor 12-metre intracity e-buses from the TSRTC. We are proud to partner with the TSRTC in their vision for a sustainable and economical large-scale public transport. The e-buses will be delivered in phases soon”.
Olectra’s association with TSRTC dates back to March 2019, with 40 e-buses. These e-buses have been plying from RGIA-Shamshabad to various destinations in Hyderabad. Exactly four years later, in March 2023, Olectra partnered with TSRTC once again for 550 e-buses.