Latest news with #e-Drive
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Centre allots 2k electric buses for Hyderabad to help fight pollution: Minister Ponnam
HYDERABAD: Disclosing that the Centre has allocated 2,000 electric buses to Hyderabad under the Prime Minister's e-Drive scheme, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar called the development a significant step towards reducing pollution in the city. A release issued on Friday stated that the state government has already introduced a comprehensive Electric Vehicle (EV) policy aimed at curbing pollution, which includes a 100% tax exemption on EVs. As part of its green public transport initiative, the Telangana government has set a target to operate a total of 2,800 electric buses within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area of Hyderabad. It was mentioned that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, along with Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar, had earlier met with Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy to request central assistance for electric buses. Prabhakar expressed satisfaction that the Centre has responded positively to their appeal by allocating 2,000 buses and urged the Union government to also consider sanctioning the remaining 800 buses to meet the full requirement. It is worth mentioning that Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, on Thursday, chaired a high-level meeting to review the rollout of electric buses under the ambitious PM e-Drive Scheme, with a focus on four key states — Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat. Following detailed discussions, the Ministry announced substantial allocations of electric buses to major cities, including 4,500 for Bengaluru, 2,000 for Hyderabad, 2,800 for Delhi, 1,000 for Ahmedabad, and 600 for Surat. The scheme was launched with the goal of deploying 14,028 electric buses across India, with a financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for the period from April 2024 to March 2026.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Bengaluru, Delhi & Hyderabad get lion's share of e-buses; Kumaraswamy to meet with OEMs soon
Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat cities will get 10,900 brand new electric buses under the PM's e-Drive Scheme over the next two years. Bengaluru will get a lion's share of 4500 buses, followed by 2800 buses for Delhi, 2000 for Hyderabad, 1000 for Ahmedabad and 600 for Surat, Union Heavy Industries & Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy told ET after chairing a meeting in Delhi on the subject. 'We have not allocated 3000-odd buses to any city because we have not received requests from Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, so far. We want to give them some more time to make a request. If none of them make a request, we may give 500-1000 more to Karnataka and about 400 more for Telangana,' the minister said. The Centre is keen to see these buses ply on the city roads in the next two years. 'PM's e-Drive is a good scheme. The cities, of course, would have to get the charging infrastructure in place,' he said, while adding that today's meeting marked a significant step forward in advancing PM Modi's vision for giving our cities a clean and inclusive urban transport solution. Kumaraswamy said he would call for a meeting with the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) soon to understand their production capacity and align the delivery schedule with the Centre's targets. He aimed to have all the 15,000 buses delivered in phases over the next 16 months, and wished to understand if the manufacturers could roll out buses fast. 'Delhi asked for 2800 buses and we met their demand,' the Union Minister said. 'From Bengaluru to Delhi, cities are actively embracing electric buses to make public transport cleaner and efficient.' The PM e-Drive initiative aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses with a total financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore over a two-year period from April 2024 to March 2026. The scheme represents one of the world's largest national efforts to electrify public transport at scale. The Ministry of Heavy Industries remains committed to timely delivery, operational readiness, and strategic partnerships with all participating states, Kumaraswamy, who is also the former CM of Karnataka, said.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Electric Ok Please: Centre eyes e-truck sops
AI-generated image Considers Incentives Like Lower Interest Rates, Registration Fees, Toll Waiver NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering a slew of concessions, from upfront subsidies to interest rate concessions, toll waivers, and lower registration charges, as it seeks to promote electric trucks, especially on certain 'priority routes'. Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Jaipur, Mumbai-Nashik, Mumbai-Pune, and Agra-Lucknow are among the highway stretches that have been prioritised, keeping in mind that it takes five-to-six hours to travel on these stretches. The proposal being discussed is part of the PM e-Drive initiative , which has seen strong demand for electric two-and three-wheelers, with the allo cated subsidies for these segments expected to be exhausted in the next few months. The ministry of heavy industries, which is piloting the Rs 500 crore scheme for etrucks, has held consultations with several ministries as well as the steel, cement, ports, and logistics sectors to seek their feedback before drafting the final plan. Some of the 'priority routes' will include the cement and steel corridors as well as movement within ports. Besides, it has studied the experience in Europe and China, which are the leading users of electric trucks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Strengthening of the power grid to deal with requirement is also among the issues that have been flagged by the power ministry, sources said. The subsidy for each vehicle will be linked to its size with an overall budgetary ceiling. The govt believes that incentives are required for truckers to move to EVs, as has also been the experience with two-wheelers and passenger vehicles. Separately, Tata Motors and Force Motors have indicated their interest in manufacturing electric ambulances , which are also part of the scheme. A govt official said there has been massive interest in the electric bus scheme as well, with Delhi, Bengaluru, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad already submitting proposals for 15,400 buses against the funding available for 14,000 buses. Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai are yet to submit their proposals. The heavy industries ministry intends to issue tenders for supply of 10,000-11,000 buses to the five cities that have submitted their proposals, with the total subsidy capped at Rs 35 lakh per bus. The ministry is also working with other govt departments to put in place the charging infrastructure under the PM e-Drive scheme, .with the industry raising the issue of higher costs. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Master Value & Valuation with ET! Learn to invest smartly & decode financials. Limited seats at 33% off – Enroll now!
