Sudhir Mehta, founder and chairman of EKA Mobility, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries, expects to formally start rolling out the initial orders of 50 electric buses to Mira-Bhayandar and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations over the next few weeks.
EKA Mobility announced in July of this year the acquisition of a significant order of 57 electric buses from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC).
“Currently, we have an order book of close to 650 electric buses," Mehta told Autocar Professional. "We are also entering the electric last-mile delivery vehicles segment with a range of e-LCVs that are designed to meet the specific needs of urban logistics, offering a balance between payload capacity, range, and cost efficiency. Our objective with both our product categories (e-buses and e-LCVs) has been simple, to make sustainability more profitable," he said.
According to Mehta, the demand for electric buses in India has experienced a remarkable surge in the current year of 2023. Mehta highlighted that the sales of e-buses in India have already surpassed those in Europe, with approximately 4,000 units sold in the European market. In comparison, India has witnessed the sale of 4,830 e-buses by the end of October 2023, reflecting the growing preference for eco-friendly transportation solutions in the country.
“India is setting an inspiring example for the world by propelling bus transportation, a lifeline for over 50 percent of our population, into a greener and more promising future. Going forward, with the corrective government incentives, subsidies, and policy support, we shall soon become a global manufacturing hub for electric and new energy vehicles,” Mehta further added.
As per him, India, with its abundant potential, held the promise of emerging as a global frontrunner in the manufacturing of electric buses. The country's relentless efforts in developing and producing these eco-friendly vehicles domestically had not only resulted in cost advantages but also bolstered its market competitiveness. The perfect combination of talent, opportunity, technology, resources, and robust domestic manufacturing capabilities had positioned India as a force to be reckoned with in the e-bus industry, Mehta continued, before adding that a well-established ecosystem of government, industry, and innovation helped in the process.
Regarding localisation, Mehta clarified that while EKA aims for a majority of local parts, 100% localisation is not feasible as certain components, like battery cells, are currently sourced internationally, but efforts are being made to shift more parts to local suppliers as supply chains develop.
Additionally, EKA has ventured into hydrogen fuel cell technology with Pune-based h2e, with the vehicle currently undergoing the trial process.