Tata Motors launches Hybrid, Electric buses; gets first order for 25 units

Tata Motors on Wednesday launched hybrid and electric buses at its Pune facility. The company launched the Starbus Electric 9m, the Starbus Electric 12m and the Starbus Hybrid 12m buses and displayed a range of smart buses for clean and green cities.

The company also showcased the country’s first Fuel Cell Bus (12m), LNG Powered bus (12m), and 18m Articulated Bus. Developed indigenously, the company in its statement said the buses are safe and are economically viable ‘Made in India’ solutions.

It further said that it has already got an order for 25 Hybrid buses from a Mumbai-based Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). These buses, to be delivered in Q1 FY18, will connect Sion, Bandra and Kurla to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

Ravindra Pisharody, Executive Director – Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors said, “We are delighted to launch our new hybrid and electric buses today. We have consistently been developing and manufacturing products that can contribute to CO2 reductions across all road transport segments and with early investments in new technologies, we are geared up to further strengthen our market leadership. With our new range of Future ready buses, we will continue to play an active role in mass public transportation, with a commitment towards striking the right balance between sustainable growth and profitability.”

Tata Motors currently designs, develops and manufacturers its buses in Pune, Dharwad, Pantnagar and Lucknow. Besides its partnership with ACGL of Goa for bus bodies, Tata Motors also has a joint venture with Marcopolo S.A. of Brazil, one of the largest bus body manufactures’ in the world, for fully built bus (FBV) solutions.

Tata Motors’ approach of manufacturing FBVs (Fully Building Vehicles), meets the government’s new norms in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, wider bus gangways, with the flexibility to be powered by both CNG and Diesel, it said.