Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) unveils a prototype of an air-conditioned electric bus at the Future Mobility Show in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka government is aiming to replace 50 per cent of petrol and diesel vehicles used by the state government staff in Bengaluru to eco-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) by 2019, said Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries KJ George.
Speaking at the Future Mobility Show 2019, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he also asserted that the urban development department is amending the building bylaws to mandate 10-20 per cent parking space for EV charging points.
In addition, he said, the state government is contemplating preferential parking for EVs and adequate signage in the city to guide electric vehicle owners to the nearest e-charging slots, Times of India reported.
“Karnataka was one of the first states in India to realise the potential of electric mobility. Today, the state has emerged as a front runner in the sector, determined to play a vital role in driving EV penetration,” he was quoted as saying.
Air-conditioned electric bus from BHEL
At the Future Mobility Show, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) unveiled a prototype of an air-conditioned electric bus.
It claims that the bus, which will have a seating capacity of 43, will run up to 150km once it is fully charged. The maximum speed of the BHEL’s e-bus is 75kmph. It will also have facilities like Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras, LED display board and GPS.
BHEL supplied 300 battery powered vehicles between 1987 and 2004, according to S Balakrishnan, director, Industrial Systems and Products, BHEL.
