Ashok Leyland wins Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation tender for 300 non-AC electric buses

Ashok Leyland is understood to have won the tender floated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for 300 non AC electric buses .
The BMTC EV Fame II tender was floated for 300 Non AC buses with wheel chair lift for being divyangjan friendly.
This is the 5th time BMTC is tendering 300 electric buses under the FAME scheme and 5 bidders participated which include Ashok Leyland , Tata Motors, Olectra, JBM and Veera.

On Sep 17, the price bid opened and Ashok Leyland was the lowest bidder ( L1) in this tender and as per the financial bid submission details Ashok Leyland was at Rs 48.95 per km, Tata Motors at Rs 54.9 per km, JBM at Rs 57.97 per km, Evy Trans ( Olectra) at Rs 59.5 per km and Veera was disqualified , say people in the know who did not wish to be identified.

When contacted Mahesh Babu , who recently joined as CEO in Switch Mobility the electric arm of Ashok Leyland declined to comment.

Around Rs 88 lakh subsidy per bus is expected out of which Rs 33 lakh per bus comes from Karnataka Government and 55 lakhs is the DHI subsidy.

Ashok Leyland is said to have executed the 'proof of concept' as on August 31, 2021 at Ahmedabad where BMTC officials were flown to showcase Ashok Leyland’s EV bus operations. The Chennai based automaker is said to have covered over 30 lakh kms cumulative over the fleet of 50 electric buses.

The BMTC has been trying to introduce e-buses in Bengaluru through the Fame 1 subsidy but has been unsuccessful . The first tender was floated in 2019.

The pandemic took its toll on the Corporation and it approached the Central government for more subsidies and an extension of the deadline to operate buses and then it was decided to opt for non-AC buses.

Meanwhile , BEST has issued fresh tenders for procuring 1,900 electric buses, as part of its efforts to expand the bus fleets to all electric.

It is also in the process to issue tenders for getting 200 electric double deckers, sources said.