Tamil Nadu government plans to procure 100 low-floor AC electric buses for urban operations as a pilot that will be extended to 500 buses by 2024.
The Institute of Road Transport (IRT) has issued a global tender for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the supply and deployment of battery-operated buses, along with charging infrastructure for the Metropolitan Transport Corporation.
To replace the aged buses with new buses, the State government has entered into agreement with KfW (German Development Bank) to procure 12,000 BS-VI buses and 2,000 electric buses commencing from the year 2021 in five years, with a cost sharing ratio of 80 per cent (KfW) as interest-free loan and 20 per cent share by the State government.
The electric buses are to be deployed in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore cities as replacement for old buses.