Charging infrastructure, incentives could send electric buses on interstate routes

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If all goes according to plan, electric buses might be taking the next big leap soon by plying on interstate routes as the government prepares to expedite setting up charging infrastructure, The Economic Times has reported. If the buses can jump to long-distance routes making a conspicuous transition from a network that now is limited to in and around big cities, it would symbolise the next step in the green mobility shift. It might also propel green vehicles towards greater adoption.

In India at least 12.5 to 14.5 lakh buses ply on intercity and interstate routes. Of these, about 2.5 lakh or 17-20% buses are run by transport utilities that belong to different governments. Currently, these buses are powered by diesel which is a significant pollutant. A switch to electric vehicles could help in cleaning the air to an extent.

“Viability of electric buses over long routes has been established for up to eight-nine hours of continuous travel,” a senior government official told the newspaper on conditions of anonymity. He added that an incentive plan is in the works to nudge operators towards electric vehicles.

The electric buses that different public sector transport utilities are operating now are under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles) scheme and the Centre is assessing whether it can announce a similar incentive scheme. Another option is to bring interstate transport infrastructure under the ambit of this scheme.

But crucial to the plan to take electric buses out of a state is an adequate charging infrastructure along the way. The government is trying to spread out charging infrastructure along highways, including fast chargers on routes that link large urban agglomerations. “Unlike four-wheelers (such as cars), larger and heavier batteries can be installed in electric buses to facilitate long-distance transport (as they last longer between charging). There will also be scaling up of fast-charging infrastructure along key routes to address range-anxiety concerns,” the official said.

This official also said that a blueprint is being drawn up to enable state governments to acquire electric buses that would ply on long-distance routes. Simultaneously, the government would also try to convince private bus operators as well as educational institutes and offices to make the transition from diesel to electric vehicles.

“School buses run for hardly four hours in a day over controlled distances within cities. They should also be encouraged to switch to electric. Sops are being considered for encouraging more private players to adopt e-buses,” the official said.

Incidentally, electric buses have come to be widely used in China. According to reports, as many as 1.38 lakh electric buses were sold in 2022. That year, Europe witnessed sales of a mere 4,000.