India opens tender for 10,900 electric buses
According to the tender, CESL seeks a bus operator to procure, supply, operate, and maintain 10,900 electric buses for public transportation under a Gross Cost Contracting (GCC). The selected bidders will have to develop the associated electric and civil infrastructure as well.
CESL will distribute the 10,900 electric buses between five major cities with a population of more than four million, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Surat. It has allocated more than 40% of the total fleet to Bengaluru – 4,500 units, comprising 100 nine-metre low-floor AC units, 600 nine-metre low-floor non-AC units, 300 twelve-metre low-floor AC units, and 3,500 twelve-metre low-floor non-AC units.
While Bengaluru will enjoy the lion’s share, Delhi will add 2,800 electric buses to its public transport fleet as part of the new tender. CESL has allocated the national capital 300 units of nine-metre low-floor AC buses and 2,500 units of twelve-metre low-floor AC buses. Hyderabad will induct 2,000 electric buses, including 100 nine-metre standard-floor non-AC units, 815 twelve-metre standard- floor non-AC units, 60 twelve-metre low-floor AC units, and 1,025 twelve-metre standard-floor non-AC units.
CESL plans to distribute the remaining 1,600 electric buses between Ahmedabad and Surat. Ahmedabad will receive 600 nine-metre and 400 twelve-metre AC rapid transit buses, totalling 1,000 units. Surat will obtain 600 nine-metre AC standard-floor electric buses.
Under the PM E-Drive scheme, MHI plans to provide state transport undertakings and public transport agencies a total of 43.91 billion rupees (approx. 437 million euros) in subsidies on 14,028 electric buses. It will give these benefits in nine cities with a population of more than four million: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad.
| Bus Size | Maximum Incentive / Bus |
| Standard bus, length > 10m & <=12m | 3,500,000 rupees (approx. €35,000 EUR) |
| Midi bus, length >8m & <=10m | 2,500,000 rupees (approx. €25,000 EUR) |
| Mini bus, length >6m & <=8m | 2,000,000 rupees (approx. €20,000 EUR) |
MHI states that the ex-factory price of the e-buses must be less than 20 million rupees (approx. 20,000 euros). It will offer a uniform grant of 10,000 rupees per kWh, 20% of the cost of the bus, or the maximum incentive based on bus size, as per the table above—whichever is lower.
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