Clean Rides

The E-DEPOT tool can help transport authorities and electricity distribution companies make sound decisions regarding the deployment of electric buses.

Eight years after deploying an electric bus into its fleet, on a pilot basis, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has inducted 40 electric buses for the city. Another 50 are in the offing. Other state transport undertakings (STUs) have similarly started deploying e-buses, riding on the impetus provided by phases I and II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme.

Running electric buses though comes with numerous challenges — one of them being the lack of requisite charging infrastructure. CSTEP’s ‘E-DEPOT’ (E-bus Depot Planning and Operations Tool) can help in the proper planning of routes and rides.

The tool provides multi-level analysis of the schedules, depots, and operations and guides STUs on the infrastructure required for deploying electric buses. The development of the tool was supported by Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF).