JBM Solaris begins trial run in Delhi

The Delhi-NCR based JBM Auto, today announced that it has begun the trial run of Ecolife electric bus in New Delhi. The trial run was flagged off by the Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot in the presence of Varsha Joshi, secretary transport and power, Delhi government and Nishant Arya, executive director, JBM Group and other dignitaries. 

According to a study, conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), vehicular pollution is responsible for 25 percent of the of PM 2.5 levels, wherein adoption of electric vehicles can help in reducing the overall pollution. The Ecolife is a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) as it is powered by lithium batteries with fast charging, and runs up to 150-200km in 10-15 hours of city bus operation. This vehicle can also run on plug-in charging. The electric bus technology is adaptable to the city bus operation depending on demographic and geographic conditions. The company claims the savings over 10 years from the all-electric Ecolife is estimated at around 1,000 equivalent tonnes of CO2 / 350,000 litres of diesel per bus. Among other key features the bus comes with pantograph charging, traction motor, independent front suspension, inverted portal axle technology, corrosion resistant monocoque structure and kneeling mechanism.

JBM says its focus is to be a one-stop solution provider in the electric vehicles (EVs)segment by providing a complete ecosystem solution for e-mobility -- electric bus, battery technology, charging infrastructure based on the operating pattern within the city.

Safety features
In terms of safety features, the Ecolife comes with live camera, a centrally monitored system; emergency safe stop buttons; passenger information system (PIS) connected to GPS; fire extinguisher in bus; electronically controlled entry doors; all wheel disc brakes (front and rear axle); fire detection and suppression system; electronic braking system; emergency exit doors and a large window which enables 36-degree panoramic view inside-out.

Speaking on the occasion, Nishant Arya, said “We are all speaking about pollution and how it is an increasingly serious health concern in metropolis. Studies have shown that 36% of the pollution has its source within the city; which includes 3% pollution from buses. In such a situation, it becomes imperative to shift our mass public transport system from fossil fuel to non-fossil fuels on an immediate basis. Aligning with the government’s vision, our focus is to bring path breaking innovation in the electric vehicle space and Ecolife is our first offering in this direction. At JBM, we are looking at providing the complete ecosystem for EVs as a one-stop-shop.”

On July 21, 2016, the Delhi-NCR-based JBM Auto formally announced its joint venture with European bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. to manufacture Ecolife full-electric buses (9- and 12-metre-long variants) in the country. The Ecolife was first showcased at the 13th Auto Expo in February 2016. JBM Solaris has invested Rs 300 crore towards engineering, design and development, manufacturing, and supply chain development among other focus areas in this electric mobility project completely made in India. Introducing European ZEV tech. The Ecolife buses is being manufactured at the company’s facilities in Faridabad (Haryana) and Kosi (Uttar Pradesh). These plants have an installed capacity to manufacture 2,000 buses annually.