With the addition of 150 new electric buses, the citizens of Pune city will experience air-conditioned, noiseless commuting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently dedicated a fleet of 150 electric buses manufactured by Olectra in Pune for public transport. He also inaugurated a state-of-the-art electric bus depot and charging station in Baner during the programme. In his address, he appealed to the nation to encourage electric mobility to avoid diesel hikes and reduce carbon emissions. Olectra is a pioneer and leading player in electric mobility in India, currently operating 150 buses in Pune for Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd. (PMPML). Olectra has also been successfully operating the electric bus fleet in Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Silvassa, Goa, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Dehradun.
With the addition of new 150 electric buses, the citizens of Pune city will experience air-conditioned, noiseless commuting. These will reduce CO2 emissions significantly in the city. It is found that urban public transportation is one of the primary causes of pollution across the world. The buses are 100% electric, zero-emission and have several safety features. Olectra’s state-of-the-art electric buses are able to serve efficiently in multiple cities like Surat, Goa, Silvassa, Dehradun, Mumbai, Pune and Surat. As the response from the commuters in multiple cities is exuberant, the respective transport organisations are willing to expand the electric bus fleet.
While announcing the deployment of the buses, Olectra Greentech Limited Chairman and Managing Director K V Pradeep said, “Olectra is proud to add another 150 electric buses in Pune to the current fleet of 150 buses. Our buses would now contribute to preserving the rich heritage of Pune. Olectra is committed to its efforts to reduce the pollution levels – both sound pollution and carbon emissions through an efficient electric public transport system. Our electric buses have already proved their reliability and efficiency and have been successfully operated over 2 crore kilometres in Pune.”
These 12-metre air-conditioned buses have a seating capacity of 33+D. The electronically controlled air suspension ensures a comfortable ride. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of the commuters, an emergency button and USB sockets for each seat. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery installed in the bus enables it to travel around 200 km on a single charge, based on traffic and passenger load conditions. The technologically advanced bus has a regenerative braking system which allows the bus to recover part of the kinetic energy lost in braking. The high-power AC and DC charging system enable the battery to recharge in 3-4 hours fully.