Punjab Eyes Fast Charging Electric Buses From Japan For A Cleaner State Transport Fleet

Several Indian states have appointed electric buses in their fleet of public transport. Though with the inadequate charging infrastructure, there have been reports of operations of these buses being compromised in one way or another. In such a scenario, fast charging can come as a viable solution for the electric buses and Punjab government now seems to be pursuing the very thing.

The state government of Punjab is reportedly in talks with Japanese entities for bringing electric buses with fast charging support to the state transport fleet.

Running on quick charge lithium-ion batteries, Punjab government is planning to pilot the initiative with a total of 5 electric buses in Chandigarh and Patiala as per an official cited in a recent report.

Talks for the initiative are expected to proceed at the oncoming Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2019. The electric buses will form a part of a larger discussion involving the Japanese EV Corridor of which the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government-backed firm that propels trade and investment amongst Japanese entities and other countries, is also a part of. The summit will also be attended by several majors including Mitsubishi, SML Isuzu, Mitsui and Yanmar as confirmed in the report.

In addition to the fast charging electric buses, the state of Punjab is also pursuing to set up its own centre of excellence in advanced and emerging technologies in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, as confirmed by the state¡¯s Additional Chief Secretary Investment Promotion Vini Mahajan.

As and when the deal for the electric buses progresses, the state of Punjab will have a significant advantage in establishing a working model of e-buses in its state transport fleet. Fast charging capabilities on such buses can significantly cut down on the charging time needed to top up these buses during their daily operations. In turn, the reduction in the frequency of charging will avoid situations wherein the running schedule of the buses might be impacted due to repeated charging.

Source: IANS