Tata Motors to Run 921 Electric Buses in Bengaluru

India’s leading EV maker Tata Motors has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) through its fully owned subsidiary, TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Ltd. under which the company will operate 921 electric buses in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

As part of the agreement, TML Smart City Mobility Solutions will supply, operate and maintain 921 units of 12-metre low-floor electric buses for a period 12 years. The company claims that Tata Starbus Electric is an indigenously developed vehicle with superior design and best-in-class features for sustainable and comfortable commute.

G Sathyavathi, Managing Director, BMTC, said, “We are confident that the induction of the zero-emission, eco-friendly buses will benefit all stakeholders and help in curbing air pollution. Tata Motors’ vast experience in the electric mobility domain will certainly assist in providing uninterrupted, safe and comfortable commute in the city.”

Asim Kumar Mukhopadhyay, CEO and MD, TML Smart City Mobility Solution, stated, “It is a momentous occasion for us as we sign the first definitive agreement under the larger CESL tender and are delighted to have partnered with BMTC in their effort to modernise and electrify the public transportation in the city of Bengaluru. We, at Tata Motors, continuously endeavour to develop smart, green and energy efficient mass mobility solutions.”

Tata Motors said that its research and development facilities have steadily worked to engineer innovative mobility solutions powered by alternate fuel technology, including battery-electric, hybrid, CNG, LNG and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology. The company has supplied over 730 electric buses across many cities in India, which have cumulatively clocked more than 55 million kilometres, with an uptime of over 95 per cent.

Recently, Jammu Smart City Ltd. announced that it will purchase 200 electric buses from Tata Motors for the deployment of e-buses in Jammu and Srinagar. The company has operated 40 electric buses in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019.