Expanding its zero-emission bus portfolio, JBM Auto has added an all-new 9-metre battery-electric bus to its ‘ECO-LIFE’ range. The ECO-LIFE e9 was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2020 motor show last month. The bus is equipped with lithium batteries that are chargeable through a fast plug-in charging system. The manufacturer also displayed its latest BS-VI-compliant CITYLIFE range of low-floor city buses.
Speaking on the occasion, Nishant Arya, Executive Director, JBM Group, said: “The ECO-LIFE e9 expands our electric bus portfolio further with its elder sibling ECO-LIFE e12 that was launched at the last Auto Expo. The series has been designed and localised keeping the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision.”
“We have also conceptualised the ‘well to wheel’ concept of e-mobility in-house, i.e., solutions ranging right from clean energy generation to green energy consumption. The buses meet the localisation requirement under FAME-II guidelines as well. Today, countries across the globe are embarking on creating sustainable EV policies and if India achieves the FAME-II targets it will be amongst the top three countries in the world in terms of number of e-vehicles. This will also generate around 10 million jobs and open many avenues for direct and indirect employment in the e-mobility space and allied sectors,” he added.
He reiterated that JBM Auto’s focus is to be a one-stop solution provider in the e-bus segment by providing a complete ecosystem solution ranging from bus product, battery technology and charging infrastructure. JBM Auto’s buses are manufactured at Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with an installed capacity of 2,000 units annually. ECO-LIFE has a corrosion-resistant ladder frame structure to ensure maximum strength and minimum weight, matching global standards for safety in case of front or side collision and rollover accidents. The buses also incorporate other utility features such as passenger information system (PIS) connected to GPS, vehicle health monitoring system, battery management system and fire detection and suppression system.