India’s first AC double-decker electric bus will start running in Mumbai very soon. The e-bus entered the BEST fleet. It has received the fitness certificate from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune. The e-bus, produced by the Switch firm, had already arrived in August 2022 and was launched by union minister Nitin Gadkari.
According to rumours, the bus won't start travelling for another two to three days because the regional transport agency in the city hasn't finished the registration process.
The city will see the commercial debut of the first AC double-decker e-bus on the Kurla bus depot to Bandra Kurla Complex route, according to BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra.
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The cost of each bus is Rs 2 crores. Ten of these buses are anticipated to be in the first batch, and their numbers will steadily rise.
Features of double-decker AC e-bus:
- The bus will possess electronic indications, a CCTV camera, including a tap-in and tap-out facility for digital ticketing.
- It will have two staircases, unline the existing double-decker bus.
- The Switch model EiV22 has a 231-kWh battery with a range of up to 250 km.
- The e-bus can extend its range by 100 kilometres after only 45 minutes of charging, whereas a full charge requires 80 minutes.
- It can carry up to 90 passengers per bus.
The general manager of BEST, Lokesh Chandra said, “To begin with, we will put one bus into operation during the week.”
Nearly 40 non-AC double-deckers that run on diesel are now in the BEST fleet but will be phased out by the end of June.
