In a monumental stride towards sustainable transportation, the Indian government is charting a course to introduce electric buses on long-distance interstate routes. With a staggering fleet of nearly 1.25-1.45 million buses predominantly running on diesel, this shift promises to herald a cleaner and greener future for the nation’s transportation sector, as highlighted by the Economic Times.
Charging Ahead: Infrastructure Expansion
Central to this transition is the expansion of charging infrastructure along highways, including the installation of fast chargers on major routes linking urban hubs. This strategic initiative aims to revolutionize interstate passenger travel by fostering the widespread adoption of electric buses for long-haul journeys.
Incentivizing the Transition: Policy Measures
Government officials, as reported by ET, underscore the viability of electric buses for continuous travel spanning eight to nine hours. To incentivize their widespread adoption, discussions are underway regarding potential incentives, building upon existing subsidies provided under the Fame India Scheme for urban transportation. This could entail extending subsidies to cover interstate transport or introducing a similar initiative tailored to this context.
Encouraging Private Participation: A Collaborative Effort
Efforts extend beyond state-run operations, with initiatives in place to encourage private bus fleet operators, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to embrace electric mobility. The potential for electric school buses, optimized for short-distance city travel, is being explored, with incentives on the horizon to facilitate their integration into private fleets.
A Vision for Tomorrow: Ambitious Targets
The government’s electrification agenda sets ambitious targets, aiming to replace 800,000 diesel buses, constituting one-third of the nation’s bus fleet, with electric counterparts over the next seven years. This comprehensive strategy encompasses the deployment of 200,000 electric buses for state transport undertakings (STUs), 550,000 for private operators, and 50,000 for schools and employee transportation by 2030.
Fostering Innovation: Building on Fame India
The Fame India scheme, initiated in 2015 by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, has been pivotal in promoting electric mobility. With funding of Rs 10,000 crore over three years, Fame II aimed to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). As the government prepares for Fame III, discussions revolve around potentially introducing production-linked incentives (PLI) schemes and priority lending to bolster India’s EV industry, further propelling the transition towards sustainable transportation solutions.
In the quest for a cleaner, greener future, the government’s initiatives underscore a resolute commitment to steering India towards a more sustainable transportation paradigm, one electric bus at a time.
