Lucknow Flags Off Electric Buses, Total Of 40 Will Run In The City In Next Four Months
Lucknow City Transport Services Ltd LCTSL has partnered with Tata Motors for a fleet of 40 electric buses to be run in the city within the next four months. The buses have been completely developed within India and claim a range of 150 kms on a single charge. Tata Motors says that it has a total order of 255 electric buses for six public transport undertakings in India.
India has been making a slow but steady shift towards an electric vehicle fleet for its public transport needs and Lucknow has now become the latest city to join this trend. Lucknow City Transport Services Ltd (LCTSL) has recently partnered with Tata Motors for a fleet of 40 electric buses to be run in the city within the next four months.
As a part of the deal, Tata Motors will be supplying 40 units of the Ultra 9m AC Electric buses to the LCTSL in a phased manner within the mentioned time period. The first of these has already been flagged off in Lucknow on February 10, 2019, starting its journey from Alambagh depot. The bus is supposed to run on the Gomti Nagar route.
The electric buses being supplied by Tata Motors are intriguing in themselves. Manufactured at Tata Motors and Tata Marcopolo Dharwad plants, the buses have been completely developed within India and claim a range of 150 kms on a single charge.
(Tata Motors)
The Lithium-ion batteries powering the buses have been placed on the roof, a move that will prevent breakdown due to waterlogging, as per Tata Motors. These batteries are also liquid cooled to ensure that their temperature stays within an optimum range and the life of the batteries are maintained for long. In addition to the buses, Tata Motors has also installed a fast charging station at the Alambagh depot.
As for their drivetrain, the Ultra Electric air-conditioned buses come with an integrated electric motor generator delivering a peak power of 333HP and a continuous power of 197HP. The 31 seater buses have been tested in diverse terrains by Tata Motors, across states including Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Assam and Maharashtra.
Ultra 9m AC Electric bus (Tata Motors)
Also read: Sri Lankan Engineer Creates Electric Conversion Kits For Auto Rickshaws, Wins $10,000 From UN
This is not a one-of-a-kind deal though. Tata Motors says that it has a total order of 255 electric buses for six public transport undertakings in India, with LCTSL being one of them. The other 5 include WBTC (West Bengal), AICTSL (Indore), ASTC (Guwahati), J&KSRTC (Jammu) and JCTSL (Jaipur). In addition, the company is also working to develop its electric mini-bus segment in the near future.
