Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has initiated the trial phase for air-conditioned, low-floor electric buses, set to replace the aging Volvo fleet on airport and premium routes. This marks the debut of AC e-buses on the city’s streets.

Ohm Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, will deliver 320 such e-buses under a Gross Cost Contract (GCC). The BMTC is leasing these buses with special funds amounting to Rs 150 crore provided by the state government. Currently, five buses have been deployed on the Kadugodi-Majestic route, with the trial period starting on January 10 and lasting for 10-15 days. During this phase, BMTC will assess the charging capacity, operational efficiency, and passenger comfort, according to GT Prabhakara Reddy, BMTC’s Chief Traffic Manager (Operations).

These buses can travel up to 200 km on a full charge, which takes around 60 to 70 minutes. While they will eventually be stationed at Depot 18 (ITPL), they are currently using Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic) for opportunity charging, which takes about 45 minutes. Under the contract, the manufacturer is obligated to provide 225 km per day for 350 days a year over the next 12 years.

Reddy highlighted that these e-buses will be more cost-effective compared to the Volvo models. BMTC will pay Rs 65.8 per km to the manufacturer and an additional Rs 14-15 per km for conductor wages. The buses’ maintenance and driver deployment will be handled by the manufacturer. BMTC’s fleet includes 484 Volvo buses, which currently incur higher operational costs than revenues.