Tag: Electric Vehicles

PM e-Bus Sewa Is Here; 10,000 Electric Buses To Be Deployed On PPP Model Across India

In what can only be considered a big boost for public transport, clean air and people’s pockets, the Cabinet approved the PM e-Bus Sewa on 16 August 2023.

Under this scheme, the Centre plans to deploy 10,000 electric buses across the country. According to the release on the Press Information Bureau, the buses will be deployed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model across 169 cities while the infrastructure will be upgraded in 181 cities under Green Urban Mobility Initiatives (GUMI). The estimated cost of the PM e-Bus Sewa is expected to be ₹57,613 crore and is expected to generate over 45,000 direct jobs.

All cities with a population above three lakh (as per the 2011 census) along with the capital cities of Union Territories, Northeastern region and the hill states will be covered with priority being given to those cities that currently do not have an organised bus service.

The programme is divided into two segments:

Segment A involves augmenting city bus services in 169 cities along with providing support for the associated infrastructure, upgradation of depots, establishment of substations, etc.

Segment B will cover GUMI across 181 cities. Here, initiatives such as bus priority, multimodal transit, NCMC-based payment systems, and charging infrastructure will be provided.

States, cities and the parastatals will be responsible for making payments to the private operators while the Centre will provide subsidies to the extent provided under the scheme.

This scheme is great news for India as it will impact not just public transport, but a lot of things. For starters, it will give a huge fillip to the manufacturing and the supply-chain ecosystem of buses, their components, and behind-the-meter infrastructure. The increased availability of buses will also change how people perceive commuting and how they actually commute.

One good news that merged right away was Volvo’s entry into the electric bus segment in India. Volvo India stated that it would consider entering the sector under either the Volvo or Eicher brand.

While the government has done a lot in improving the electricity supply system with an increase in renewable energy including solar, wind and even hydel power, it needs to scale up on nuclear power.

Do read this article written by me for Swarajya in 2018: India Needs An Electric-Vehicle Policy; Here’s How It Can Go About It. The government seems to be doing what I had proposed five years ago.

Also, do read Aashish Chandorkar’s article from 2016, on How Indian Cities Can Shift From Diesel To Electric Buses for it explains economies of scale very well.

The shift from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM, with a jurm of a logo) to the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) to now PM e-Bus Sewa has been quite fantastic.

Featured Image: Image by macrovector on Freepik

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Mumbai: BEST Last-Mile Connectivity Soon As Undertaking Mulls Electric Cab Service

Your commute could soon become better (or even BEST, pun intended) as the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has begun the process of calling for tenders for agencies to supply electric cabs with drivers (also known as a wet lease) for last-mile connectivity in Mumbai. According to an article written for the Times of India by Somit Sen, the agency will provide cabs on an ‘aggregator basis’ on a revenue-sharing model with the agency providing the vehicles and staff and thus keep BEST’s capital expenditure at zero. The article also mentions that the agency will provide fuel, which is kind of odd given that these are electric vehicles. The cabs will be electrified.

Users who want to book then can book them using BEST’s Chalo App, and fares will be on par with other aggregators including Ola and Uber. A user can plan a -multi-modal journey using both cabs and buses.

Although unrelated, BEST also recently procured 16 electric Tata cars for its staff to use.

An important question arises: If the private partner is providing the fuel, to be read as paying for electricity, then what about the charging? Will the undertaking open up its charging infrastructure at various depots and bus stations for these vehicles?

An interesting point to note: Fellow transit-enthusiast Kundan Srivastav had explained (in detail) a similar concept where public transport agencies such as BEST could tie-up with private partners to operate taxis under a common brand name way back in 2020 during the early stages of the lockdown. I hope he may write an article on it some day. Please do follow Kundan on Twitter, @kun_srivastav.

An even more interesting thing to note. A year ago, in August 2021, a badly photoshopped picture of a red Volkswagen Polo with BEST’s logo on it made the rounds on social media, purporting to be BEST’s new electric taxi service. BEST clarified it to be fake news. You can read more about it here: Fake News Alert: BEST Is Not Launching Electric Taxis.

If you want to understand how the Chalo app for BEST works, do read Gandharva Purohit’s explainer: Chalo, Aage Badho: Getting Familiar With BEST’s New App For Tickets

Also Read: The changing face of Mumbai’s Taxis

Featured Image: Isometric electric transport on the city illustration by macrovector on Freepik

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BEST Idea? Over Fifty Electric Vehicle Charging Points To Come Up AT Bus Depots

In a bid to boost the usage of electric vehicles (EVs) in the city, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has decided to establish 55 EV charging stations at various bus depots and stops, reports The Free Press Journal. BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra stated that these charging points will be made accessible to private vehicles as well.

BEST has 386 EVs in its fleet currently and not all of its 27 depots have charging facilities. Options for both slow and fast charging will be made available for those who want to use the charging points. The report also adds that according to Vahan, there are 2,143 EVs registered in four RTOs (Tardeo, Andheri, Borivali and Wadala) in Mumbai.

It currently takes six hours for BEST buses to charge completely, which may pose a hurdle considering that the undertaking is looking at procuring 1,900 electric buses by 2023. BEST’s current fleet consists of electric buses manufactured by Olectra (formerly Goldstone), and Tata Motors (Tata Starbus and Tata Marcopolo).

In a report for Mid-Day last month, transport experts felt that BEST could supply the electricity to its depots for charging EVs in order to reduce costs and more importantly, improve finances of the electricity supply division of the undertaking. Buses are currently heavily subsidised by the Central Government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme.

This electrifying plan looks quite like the BEST idea for BEST right now.

Feautured Image: BEST’s Olectra Bus by Yash Mhadgut.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Fake News Alert: BEST Is Not Launching Electric Taxis

A new rumour, aided by a photoshopped image has been floating around social media that claims that the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking is launching red-coloured electric taxis. Interestingly the picture features a Volkswagen Polo which is a diesel-powered car manufactured by Volkswagen AG which has been mired in controversies relating to its emission standards. (Do read up on Dieselgate and Emissionsgate)

Below is an image of the so-called taxi. In it, one can see a red-coloured car with what looks like a sticker of BEST’s logo on the rear door and BEST Electric Taxi written on the front foor. However, the positioning and angle of the text is a clearly giveaway that this is a ham-fisted photoshop job.

On being asked on Twitter, the undertaking responded saying it was fake news.

BEST then issued a press note with a clarification that image was indeed fake. In their clarification, they have stated that due to the image surfacing on social media, there were questions among the general public if such a service existed or if BEST was planning on starting one. BEST stated that it neither had such a service nor planned to start one in the near future.

Press Note from BEST clarifying that the taxi service is fake news
Press Note from BEST clarifying that the taxi service is fake news

Fellow transit fan Akshay Marathe (not to be confused with Akshay Marathe of the Aam Aadmi Party) joked that this could be real given the shrinking size of BEST buses.

That’s all folks. BEST is not launching any taxi service. This seems to be a case of the BEST Fake Taxi. Or is it BEST Baitbus?

If you intend to step out please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Did You Know CoEP Has A PG Diploma In Metro Rail Tech And Electric Mobility?

To all those transport enthusiast there who want to study a course related to transport, but not do a Masters in Planning or Engineering, the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) has two options. Both of them are one-year, full time Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) courses: PGD Electric Mobility (PGDEM) and PGD Metro Rail Technology PGDMRT).

Do note: The admission window for the 2020-2021 batch closed in July 2020. You can use this post as a reference for the next year (if the Institute continues with the course; which it probably will).

Here are the links to the brochures of both courses. I’ll give a brief description of both below:

PGD Electric Mobility Brochure
PGD Metro Rail Technology Brochure

PGD in Electric Mobility

The PGDEM course is offered by CoEP along with Cummins College of Engineering for Women, the Savitribai Phule Pune University in association with Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).

The course involves EV System Design and Integration, Energy Storage Systems including Lithium Batteries, Fuel Cells, Ultracapacitors and Powertrains.

It also involves thermal design and the mechanical design of EV systems and their components and also Standards, Policies and Regulations on EVs.

PGD in Metro Rail Technology

The PGDMRT course is offered by the Department of Civil Engineering of the CoEP.

Divided into two semesters, the first semester has courses on railways and civil engineering, rail wheel interaction, mechanical traction and electrical traction and a course on elevated structures. The second semester looks at railway signaling and telecommunications, metro rail engineering and has a course on underground structures. The entire course includes site visits to Metro Rail projects and has a project and practical courses.

Sadly, I was too late to notice this for the current academic year. However, on the bright side, it is good that such courses are being offered in our country, especially given that Electric Mobility and Metro Rail is the future.

This is a good chance for those interested in Metro Tech and Electric Mobility.

Featured Image: College of Engineering, Pune

If you’re wishing to travel around, don’t forget to carry sanitizer, wear a mask and a face shield.

       

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This Is What Worli Depot Looks Like From Above (You Can Charge Electric Vehicles Here Too!)

One of the most under-rated depots under BEST is the Worli depot. It has till date never been home to any air-conditioned buses, although it sheltered the Cerita fleet during the day.

Prior to their cancellation in 2017, there were several buses operated by BEST that terminated at the National Sports Centre of India (NSCI)/Nehru Planetarium/Lotus bus stop at Worli. Originally running till Colaba Depot, they were truncated due to lack of takers. Among these were AS-2 running from Mira Road Station (East), belonging to the Magathane Depot, AS-592 from Kopar Khairane that belonged to the Deonar Depot, A-74 Express of the Oshiwara Depot that took the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, A-75 Express of the Majas Depot coming from Hiranandani Powai and A-76 Express from Gorai Depot that also took the Sea Link. While none of these buses belonged to the Worli Depot, they used to be parked at Worli during the day time. This is because most of them had a schedule where they would leave from their origin point in the morning and leave from Worli only in the evening. Few buses would have a modified route terminating at their home depots instead of their starting points during noon and would return from these depots to Worli in the early afternoon.

Now the Worli depot is also unique in its layout. There are actually two depots separated by Sasmira Marg. While the eastern half of the depot flanks Dr Narayan Hardikar Marg, its entrance is still on Sasmira Marg facing the entrance to the western half.

Latest photographs of the Depot show that it now hosts a few mini-buses, double deckers and also is a charging point for electric vehicles, not just cars.

Also Read: Switching To Electric Cars By 2030: What India Needs To Do

Anyway, getting back to the Worli Depot, here is a fantastic aerial snap of the depot clicked by Kinshuk (@pixels.of.perception on Instagram), using a drone.

View this post on Instagram

The sound we hear these days on the streets of Mumbai most frequently is the hustling and bustling sound of the BEST buses 😍 Applaud and salute to the spirit of the relentless employees of the BEST who are working day in and out to help essential service provider and frontline workers reach their destination 👏🙌🏼 – 📍 Worli Depot / Worli Aagaar – #mymumbai 🧡 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ #PerspectivePixels #mypixeldiary #_soi #_soimumbai #indiapictures #itz_mumbai #Fromwhereidrone #Drone #aerial #maharashtra #lockdown #lockdown2020 #pandemic #mumbaipolice #BEST #coronawarriors #respect #salute #pattern #symmetry #nustaharamkhor #maibhisadakchap #whatkarlloves #quarantine #quarantineactivities #stayhome #staysafe

A post shared by Kinshuk 📍Mumbai | India (@pixels.of.perception) on

While this picture only captures the Eastern half of the depot, it still is an amazing shot. You can also see a few vehicles belonging to BEST’s Electricity Department on the bottom left hand corner of the image. There are generally cable-inspection and repair vans.

Do follow Kinshuk on Instagram here: Kinshuk 📍Mumbai | India

Anyway, here is a picture of the Mini-buses parked at the Worli Depot taken at 6am in the morning. You can also see a double-decker parked inside.

Mini-buses inside Worli Depot (Photo Credit: Mahesh Sakhalkar for BESTpedia)
Mini-buses inside Worli Depot (Photo Credit: Mahesh Sakhalkar for BESTpedia)

And here is the entrance to the bus depot with a board that designates it as a charging point with the rate of ₹8.25/unit mentioned.

The entrance to Worli Depot charging station (Picture: Mahesh Sakhalkar for BESTpedia)
The entrance to Worli Depot charging station (Picture: Mahesh Sakhalkar for BESTpedia)

Featured image: Entrance to Worli Depot by Mahesh Sakhalkar.

This depot also allows you to charge your electric vehicles!

A special thanks to Mahesh for clicking these amazing photographs for me. Also, don’t forget to share, comment and if you can support me on Patreon.

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The viability of EVs hinges on deregulation of the transport sector

The last two months have been very eventful for electric vehicles in India. Starting with Nagpur’s Electric Mass Transit Project, the sector has been abuzz with various entries into the electric vehicle (EV) scene. With Ola Cabs calling the shots in Nagpur, two Munjal family ventures– Hero Future Energies and Hero MotoCorp announced their foray into the charging infra sector, while public-sector NTPC Limited set up charging stations in the National Capital Region (NCR). Further, it was also announced that the Centre was reportedly in talks with Japanese investment major Softbank to procure two lakh electric buses.

Given Piyush Goyal’s announcement that India would sell only EVs by 2030, this might sound like things are on track, but are they?

Arguably, the question that arose after this statement was whether this would be feasible or not. At this juncture it is crucial to look at Goyal’s words. The target, according to what Goyal to PTI reporters was to ensure that only EVs are sold. Going by this, it would be possible to ensure that fuel-based vehicles are not sold, either through taxation or emission-based policies. There is no doubt about that. However, whether electric vehicles would be practical is something with a bigger question mark at the end of it.

So, are electric vehicles really that viable from a practical view?

Possibly not, at least not yet. The market is still not open enough for demand and supply economics to take over.

Start deregulating the market

Governments across the country have stopped private operators from plying legally. Of course, this doesn’t stop many of them from plying illegally, like the ones commonly seen on Bangalore’s roads. When the Government of Maharashtra is partnering with Ola Cabs to provide electric cabs in Nagpur, why can’t it allow Ola to operate electric buses? Private players will be able to raise the capital required for electric buses faster than government bodies and given the stark contrast between the two in terms of operations and quality of service, they would operate them better too.

Services like Ola Shuttle, CityFlo and ZipGo appeal to the middle-class by offering services such as a reserved seat, free wi-fi, cashless payments and convenient timings. If the government cannot offer these services, which it evidently seems unable to do so, let the markets take over.

Some manufacturers like Volvo Buses are even offering their buses on a turnkey basis where the operator need not buy the bus, but just pay the company who will lease out the buses. Public sector agencies may not go in for these for various reasons, but the private sector surely will.

 

Charging Points Need Deregulation Too

From all the investment that we have seen so far in charging spaces, there is a clear trend visible. Charging infrastructure is entirely in the hands of a few large bodies establishments that have money. While it is perfectly reasonable to expect the government to provide charging points as a means of garnering additional revenue, it is not desirable for the government to either be involved in, or control the entire system.

As we move towards a more market-oriented economy, we need to understand that EVs, like any other commodity needs to be deregulated massively.

To start this, we need to enable individuals to lease out parking spaces for those looking for them. Not every major provider will have a charging point in the vicinity, and not every vehicle might have enough battery power to go up to a charging point. If an individual has a vacant parking lot with a charging point, they can then choose to lease it out to someone. Leasing out vacant spaces as parking is not exactly legal in India and the closest we have come to legalising this was in 2016 when the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation proposed to make amendments in the local laws to allow people to do so.

Outside of India, leasing out vacant lands as parking spaces is quite common with several countries even having an app for it. If the sector was deregulated, this would solve a lot of problems for us, from congestion to charging and would in many ways make commuting easier. It might even encourage people to take up public transport for part of their journey while leaving their vehicles to charge at some parking space. This system of ad-hoc charging spots will answer a lot of demand and supply questions similar to how platforms like Airbnb helped make living spaces more affordable.

Unlike fuel, electricity as a commodity is a lot more flexible. In this scenario, electricity is not being resold– only the parking space is being leased out. Electricity is another commodity being consumed by a tenant who in turn pays for it. Further, similar to concept of peak pricing followed in the hospitality and transport sector, such pricing can be applied here too. Since most distribution companies charge different rates based on the total electricity consumption, owners can change price brackets as and when their consumption goes up.

Local bodies also could provide incentives or tax rebates to builders who provide charging spaces in residential complexes. Since many commercial and industrial complexes have charging points, it shouldn’t be much of a problem to have this emulated across all sectors.

The government needs to ponder about deregulating the transport sector heavily, if it intends for a complete EV scene by 2030.

Note: This article was written on 13 June 2017, after reading an article titled A misguided push towards electric vehicles. For some reason, I thought it would be a great idea to send this article across to Mint, which was stupid on my part. The Mint team did respond to me, but then practically sat on this article for over a month, making it evident that they had rejected the article but had failed to inform me about it.

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