VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) today announced that it has completed a year of a successful run of its electric buses in Kolkata. The Eicher Skyline Pro e-buses, been deployed with West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO), have now clocked over 160,000 kilometres ferrying over 130,000 passengers till now.

The company says the three Eicher Skyline Pro e-buses in operation with WBHIDCO, deployed in May 2018, has been operating seven days a week, averaging 140km per day and delivering 98 percent uptime.  The electric buses plying within the New Town Area connecting various corners of the neighbourhood till New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) bus terminus. KPIT, the service provider has installed charging stations and a workshop at NKDA bus depot and Shapoorji Bus Depot.

The Eicher Skyline Pro e-buses are powered by Revolo technology, which is an innovative platform that operates on a lower voltage and allows regeneration to have the maximum possible range with the smallest possible battery.

The bus maker says it has bagged another order of 40 e-buses to be delivered to BEST Mumbai this year, and it has been actively participating in tenders floated by various State Transport Undertakings and other government agencies.

Commenting on this milestone, B Srinivas, senior vice-president, Sales and Marketing, Buses, VE Commercial Vehicles, said: “The country is at the cusp of a new revolution in transportation and is moving swiftly towards electro-mobility. Our deployment for public transport at Kolkata and its successful journey is a testimony of our strong resolve towards environment-friendly mobility solutions. Together with the support infrastructure, we have been able to achieve great results with WBHIDCO.”

 “The shift to electric vehicle technology will open many avenues for the economy. The new developments with the second phase of the FAME Scheme are further incentivising the move towards electro-mobility, with a view towards achieving the country’s 2030 EV Vision. We, too, are aligned with the government and working towards meeting India’s mobility needs via the electric platform. VECV believes that such projects will accelerate the progress in India through adaptive mobility solutions and standard-led globally proven technology. The shift to alternative fuel technology will also bring positive implications across environment, social and economic parameters in the long run,” added Srinivas.