GreenCell Mobility Private Ltd., an electric Mobility as a service (eMaaS) platform in India promoted by Ever Source Capital, has announced a partnership through the acquisition of a strategic stake in two Special Purpose Vehicle companies incorporated by PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Private Ltd., a leading ‘zero-emission’ commercial vehicle manufacturer, which won the bid for deploying 350 electric buses along with charging infrastructure across the cities of Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Prayagraj and Jhansi in two packages in Uttar Pradesh.
This contract, awarded by the Directorate of Urban Transport, Government of Uttar Pradesh, comes under the Government of India’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) program with the nodal agency as DHI and is among the first to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh. The move is poised to lead the way for electric bus adoption in the State and lay the foundation of sustainable public transport.
GreenCell Mobility’s aim is to create green routes with state-of-the-art 9 m buses in the State where Lucknow and Kanpur will get 100 buses each, Varanasi and Prayagraj 50 each, and Gorakhpur and Jhansi 25 each. These buses will travel for a minimum of 63,000 km every year, leading to zero tail-pipe emissions of CO2, resulting in eliminating approximately 22,000 tons of CO2 every year, while also creating over 1,000 jobs in the State.
Commenting on the announcement, Ashok Agarwal, MD & CEO, GreenCell Mobility, said: “We are extremely happy to invest in the State of Uttar Pradesh to promote Green & Sustainable Public Transport. We are looking forward to a much deeper commitment and long-term relationship with the State and PMI as our partner.”
Satish Jain, MD, PMI Electro Mobility, said: “We are elated to partner with GreenCell Mobility to provide city bus service in 6 cities of Uttar Pradesh. Our partnerships all touch the lives of 1,00,000 riders daily by providing non-polluting, clean, and efficient, timely, comfortable, and disabled friendly bus services. This partnership shall generate 1,000 direct jobs in the State. The project shall not only ensure good financial returns but also substantial ESG returns. The investment by the companies is a step towards sustainable investing. We thank the Government of Uttar Pradesh to provide us the opportunity and GreenCell Mobility for trusting our vision. Mr. Jain also added that as a part of his vision for PMI, he is extremely happy to be a major player in the electric mobility segment in India”.
Recently, GreenCell had announced it had won a contract from the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) for the operation of 48 air-conditioned electric bus coaches. This was the first contract bagged by the company under the FAME-II incentive scheme of the Government of India and the electric bus contract was also the first one by RSRTC.
Key features of GreenCell’s 9 m e-bus:
• Zero tailpipe emissions
• Single charge range of 120 km with the capability to do 200 km in city traffic with opportunity charging.
• 151 Kwh liquid-cooled Li-on battery with fast charging capability (30-45 minutes)
• Low floor bus (650 mm) with monocoque chassis
• Automatic transmission and ultra-silent air-conditioned cabin
• Easy to drive in congested city traffic
• Superior pick up with 3000 Nm torque
• Height-adjustable power seats for driver
• Comfortable ride with full air suspension system
• Wheelchair access with ramp
• CCTV-enabled with mobile charging points