<p>The launch phase of Faster Adoption of Electric Vehicles (Fame 2) scheme has given new hope for KSRTC, which plans to deploy 50 buses from Bengaluru to five cities.</p>.<p>In July 2018, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) made a presentation to Fame officials in Delhi, seeking subsidy for purchase of 50 electric buses.</p>.<p>“The proposal was rejected as Fame 1 did not support inter-city transport. Several state road transport corporations (SRTCs) had the same experience.</p>.<p>“However, officials had assured us that they will take up the proposal in the next phase of the scheme,” an official with KSRTC said.</p>.<p>Fame 2 will partially fund electric buses procured on lease model by SRTCs, transporting people between cities. Corporations will get help to ply e-bus between million-plus population cities.</p>.<p>“The electric buses have a range of 300 km and KSRTC connects five or six cities within that range. We are getting the details of population and travel needs of five cities and will send a detailed proposal soon,” the official said.</p>.<p>Buses will run between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chitradurga and Davangere. Officials recently held a meeting in which the issue was discussed threadbare. The general opinion is to go for buses that can run up to 400 km on a single charge.</p>.<p><strong>Lease model</strong></p>.<p>As per the scheme’s specifications, KSRTC will have to procure the buses on lease, instead of purchase model.</p>.<p>“We will call for tenders for a lease similar to that of BMTC last year. The operator who quotes the lowest per-km rate will be picked. The successful bidder gets a subsidy from the Centre, which ranges from about Rs 55 lakh for a large e-bus to Rs 30 lakh to a mini e-bus,” he said.</p>.<p>KSRTC will deploy a conductor and pay the operator per-km. It will also bridge gaps in revenue.</p>.<p>Charging stations will be set up in the five cities. However, it has decided not to opt for battery swapping technology (replacing used battery with a charged one kept as reserve). “Only 20% of manufacturers make buses with swapping technology. Hence, opting for the swapping model will reduce the bidding competition and deny us a good deal,” an official said.</p>
<p>The launch phase of Faster Adoption of Electric Vehicles (Fame 2) scheme has given new hope for KSRTC, which plans to deploy 50 buses from Bengaluru to five cities.</p>.<p>In July 2018, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) made a presentation to Fame officials in Delhi, seeking subsidy for purchase of 50 electric buses.</p>.<p>“The proposal was rejected as Fame 1 did not support inter-city transport. Several state road transport corporations (SRTCs) had the same experience.</p>.<p>“However, officials had assured us that they will take up the proposal in the next phase of the scheme,” an official with KSRTC said.</p>.<p>Fame 2 will partially fund electric buses procured on lease model by SRTCs, transporting people between cities. Corporations will get help to ply e-bus between million-plus population cities.</p>.<p>“The electric buses have a range of 300 km and KSRTC connects five or six cities within that range. We are getting the details of population and travel needs of five cities and will send a detailed proposal soon,” the official said.</p>.<p>Buses will run between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chitradurga and Davangere. Officials recently held a meeting in which the issue was discussed threadbare. The general opinion is to go for buses that can run up to 400 km on a single charge.</p>.<p><strong>Lease model</strong></p>.<p>As per the scheme’s specifications, KSRTC will have to procure the buses on lease, instead of purchase model.</p>.<p>“We will call for tenders for a lease similar to that of BMTC last year. The operator who quotes the lowest per-km rate will be picked. The successful bidder gets a subsidy from the Centre, which ranges from about Rs 55 lakh for a large e-bus to Rs 30 lakh to a mini e-bus,” he said.</p>.<p>KSRTC will deploy a conductor and pay the operator per-km. It will also bridge gaps in revenue.</p>.<p>Charging stations will be set up in the five cities. However, it has decided not to opt for battery swapping technology (replacing used battery with a charged one kept as reserve). “Only 20% of manufacturers make buses with swapping technology. Hence, opting for the swapping model will reduce the bidding competition and deny us a good deal,” an official said.</p>
