Olectra bus in India, with BYD a plan for 5,000 electric buses yearly

Olectra bus built with BYD, the production to ramp up. BYD is planning to increase the electric bus production in India to 5,000 vehicles per year from the 2,000 that are built now.

The news has been reported on Business Standard, quoting a statement by Ketsu Zhang, executive director of BYD India. In the country BYD has entered a partnership with Hyderabad-based company Olectra, so that electric buses are built jointly.

5,000 BYD – Olectra bus units yearly

Still according to Business Standard, BYD – Olectra bus units in operation today in India are roughly 200. The 9 meter K9 and the 12-meter K9 are manufactured in India. Also the delivery van BYD T3 will be introduced soon. Planned deliveries for this latter bus are 10,000 units in the next two to three years.

Olectra bus with BYD to manufacture electric buses

BYD, the largest manufacturer of electric buses globally, has formed a strategic partnership with Olectra Greentech (formerly Goldstone Infratech). BYD is also investing $68.8 million in a manufacturing facility based in Karnataka to help bring down the cost and increase the localisation content of the buses.

Reportedly, in October 2018 Olectra-BYD has signed a contract with the north Indian state of Uttarakhand to deliver 500 electric buses.

India and bus electrification. Lot of room for adoption

India is on an ambitious journey to electrify 30% of its vehicle fleets by 2030 as proposed by government think tank Niti Aayog. Testing of operational feasibility of electric buses, cars, two-wheelers, rickshaws, taxis and goods vehicles, are already making in-roads.

Bus electrification deepening in India

Buses are one of the leading segments driving this change, with the most aggressive efforts from stakeholders seen in terms of successful electrification, since the first electric bus trial started in Bangalore in 2014.

«With over 70,000 buses above 6 tonne sold in 2017, the Indian bus market represents a significant portion of the 430,000 buses above 6 tonne sold globally. If only a small percentage of these were to be electric, it could easily become the second largest market behind China» highlighted research company Interact Analysis in 2018.