BEST Tenders for 200 Electric Buses in Mumbai Under FAME-II
The Brihan-Mumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST) has issued a tender, inviting bids from eligible firms for the public transport of 200 MIDI Electric Buses in the city of Mumbai and its extended suburbs on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model under the Fame Scheme Phase II.
How electric mobility will ensure a clean, green, responsible India
India’s electric vehicle goals are set to flourish as Niti Aayog, the government’s thinktank brandishes the emobility mantra. The government aspires for a greener India by emphasising on the sale of only electric vehicles by 2030, or have a large percentage of EVs on the road by then.
Nagpur Set to Procure 40 Electric Buses Under FAME Program
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) to select a bus operator for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of 40 midi electric buses on gross cost contract services. The tender is floated under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles II (FAME II) program. The selected operator will also be responsible for the establishment of charging infrastructure, including the electrical and civil infrastructure, at the depots for ten years. The scope of work includes the manufacture and supply of electric buses, as well as the operation and maintenance of buses on the routes specified by the authority.
Vehicles double as Mumbai roads stay same in 10 years
This decade saw traffic flow choke up with the number of vehicles more than doubling but the city’s road length remaining consistent at about 2,000km. Transport department statistics show there’s been a 109% rise in vehicles between 2009-10 and November 2019 (see box). There are 22 lakh bikes registered, translating into 1,100 bikes for every km, and with 150 new cars and SUVs (10.6 lakh in all on streets now) on average hitting the roads daily, problems like severe traffic congestion, dearth of parking slots, noise and air pollution have peaked.
After a tough year, auto industry hopes for smooth drive from H2 2020
The year 2019 has been one of the toughest for the automobile industry, with a 13.8 per cent drop in domestic sales from January to November 2019. Despite challenges, 2019 saw new brands coming in, mergers and partnerships and new model launches as the industry is optimistic about 2020.
Getting it right on electric cars, mostly
Earlier this year when NITI Aayog asked all two- and three-wheeler manufacturers to submit a plan to phase out fossil-fuel (internal combustion) engines by 2025, it had sent the entire automobile industry in a tizzy, not just two-wheelers. Although most auto firms were getting ready to roll out electric cars—around a dozen launches are planned for next year—no one wanted a diktat from the government.
Welcome Delhi Govt’s Electric Vehicle Policy: SIAM, SMEV
Auto industry body SIAM said the electric vehicle policy announced by the Delhi government would help encourage consumers to adopt electric vehicles. Some of the welcome announcements in the policy include measures which would make electric vehicles affordable and acceptable, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Director General Rajesh Menon said in a statement. These include purchase incentives, interest subvention, scrappage incentive, waiver on road tax, waiver on registration and parking fees and measures to push charging infrastructure, he added.
Electric vehicles: The future of mass commute?
With global warming and environment becoming major concerns, governments across the world are putting increased thrust on the need for phasing out petrol/diesel vehicles. While electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the pipeline for decades, it is only now that these are emerging as a viable alternative to petrol/diesel vehicles. Support from governments backed by ambitious targets as well as evolution of battery technology has enabled this shift. In China, 1.1 million electric cars were sold in 2018—more than half the total world sales.
Tamil Nadu to buy 640 e-buses, set up 260 charging points
The Tamil Nadu government is working out the cost involved in procuring 640 electric buses and setting up 260 charging points for them, and has floated tenders that will close in a week. Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services (PTCS), which functions under the transport department, has invited bids for direct supply of e-buses under the central government’s FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme.
Electric cycles attract 5 per cent GST, ordinary cycles 12 per cent
The Modi government has been defending the multi-tiered rates under GST, saying there cannot be one rate, as different segments of society have to be taxed differently. However, it has emerged that ordinary bicycles used mostly by the low-income group people attract 12 per cent GST while expensive electric bicycles are in the lowest slab of 5 per cent.