Electric Bus Cohort

India’s economic growth and the build-out of its urban infrastructure are coinciding with dramatic cost reductions in clean energy technologies. This creates an opportunity for India to leapfrog energy and mobility development pathways that other nations have pursued. As demand for public transport rises in this decade, a significant opportunity exists to electrify this new demand.

STUs in India cater to 70 million passengers per day and can play a major role in India’s transition to electric mobility while also addressing the increasing air quality concerns in our cities. By 2030, if four out of 10 buses sold in India are electric, the country could emerge as the second largest electric bus market in the world after China.

The Department of Heavy Industry’s leadership on India’s electric mobility transition is evident from the sanctions of 5,595 electric buses to 64 cities and State Transport Undertakings (STUs). Over their lifetimes, those e-buses will run 3 billion kilometers without tailpipe emissions, produce oil import savings of 55 lakh barrels of oil equivalent worth Rs 3,600 crores, and avoid 12 lakh tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions.

In this context, DHI, RMI India and Rocky Mountain Institute hosted a workshop on “Accelerating Rollout of Electric Buses Under FAME II” in New Delhi on November 21, 2019. The purpose of the workshop was to support efficient rollout and operation of 5,595 e-buses sanctioned by DHI under FAME II and prepare for next round of tenders by collecting and sharing lessons learned.

Over 100 participants and 30 cities participated. It offered participants an opportunity to engage in conversations and debates on their current experiences, learnings, and future ambitions. The discussions at the workshop has helped in identifying steps and solutions to ensure successful rollout of e-buses in India.

Key discussion points from the workshop included:

· Addressing city-specific needs in tenders and contracts

· Long-term planning approach to fleet electrification and demand creation

· Treating charging standards and electric grid upgrades

· Building technical and operational capacity within urban local bodies

· Supporting a process for capturing and sharing success stories and lessons learned

A summary of insights that were generated at the workshop can be found in the DHI, Rocky Mountain Institute and RMI India publication Building an Electric Bus Ecosystem in Indian Cities.