The latest plan focuses on interstate passenger transport.
An estimated 1.25-1.45 million buses, including around 250,000 state government-controlled transport utilities, operate on intercity or interstate routes. Long-distance buses run on diesel, and a shift to electric will majorly contribute to a reduction in emissions.
"Viability of electric buses over long routes has been established for up to eight-nine hours of continuous travel," a senior government official said, adding that incentives are being planned to catalyse the shift towards such buses.
Currently, electric buses supported under the FAME India subsidy scheme are used for city transport.
Fast Chargers on Highways
The government could launch a similar support scheme or extend the existing one for interstate transport infrastructure.
As part of the electric mobility push, more charging infrastructure will also be set up along highways, including fast chargers on key routes connecting large urban centres, the official told ET.
"Unlike four-wheelers (such as cars), larger and heavier batteries can be installed in electric buses to facilitate long-distance transport (as they last longer between charging). There will also be scaling up of fast-charging infrastructure along key routes to address range-anxiety concerns," the official said.
In line with these goals, a road map for supporting purchase of electric buses by state governments for long-distance operations will soon be drawn up, this official added.
Measures to encourage private bus fleet operators and institutional buyers like schools and colleges to switch to electric mobility are also being considered.
"School buses run for hardly four hours in a day over controlled distances within cities. They should also be encouraged to switch to electric. Sops are being considered for encouraging more private players to adopt e-buses," the official said.
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