India’s first electric double-decker air-conditioned bus was unveiled earlier in the week by road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari. The electric bus has been manufactured by Switch Mobility, which is the electric vehicle arm of Ashok Leyland. The newly launched services are part of a green initiative launched by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), which will be adding more such buses to its fleet in a bid to switch to environment-friendly means of transport.
Ushering Sustainable Revolution! It gives me immense pleasure to launch the Ashok Leyland's Electric Double Decker Bus in Mumbai today. pic.twitter.com/lTP4Jhosb0
The buses are noiseless, environment-friendly, and air-conditioned, and the BEST will be them taking on wet lease. The buses can carry 65 to 80 passengers, according to the company. It has got two staircases instead of one in the traditional double-decker buses to ensure smooth entry and dispersal from the bus.
The buses are the world's first - semi-low floor, air-conditioned, electric double-decker buses with features like automatic doors, CCTV cameras, big and wide windows one emergency door, and special arrangements for communication between the two conductors on board.
“Switch EiV 22 is designed to revolutionise public transportation in the country and will set new standards in the intra-city bus market,” the company statement stated.
The BEST will hire drivers from private operators, who will also look into the maintenance and operational cost of the buses. As per sources, BEST will pay Rs 56.40 per kilometer to the private operators to cover all the costs.
As per details, the bus, which is called Switch EiV22, is well equipped for city roads and tourist applications. It has an advanced Lithium-ion NMC configuration with a modular battery. It uses a 650 V system, which is same as the Switch EiV 12 launched in June 2022. The lightweight aluminium body structure offers a higher passenger-to-weight ratio and a competitive cost per km, per passenger, the company statement said. The 231-kWh-battery pack uses liquid cooling, and can be charged in just 1.5 to 3 hours. The e-bus can speed up to 250 kilometers.
The bus is compatible with Switch iON, which would help it access world-class digital management tools and easy monitoring. Even the spare parts, such as the inverters, compressors, and batteries, are easily accessible and can be replaced without an expert overview.
Mumbai’s love for double deckers
The city got its first double-decker bus in 1937. The buses’ design was largely based on London’s motorised double-decker buses. In the 1960s, then Bombay had as many as 900 buses and was an iconic feature of the city. The BEST started phasing these buses as their spare parts were not available locally. At present, there are only 48 double-decker buses left, which will be completely phased out by 2023.
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