[Kannan]

I just saw a news article (https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/prot...gahlot-2684976) on Delhi Transport Corporation's first electric bus.

Seems like it's manufactured by JBM Group (https://jbmbuses.com/jbm-electric-bus.html)

I got a look at their spec sheet and personally, I feel this series of buses have two interesting features.

• Pantograph
• Portal Axle with integrated electric motors

[benu9714]

I presume the portal axle (where the axle is offset from the hub center) is to reduce the floor height by eliminating the differential and placing the drive below the hub center. makes sense on a city bus that runs on smooth and level roads.

But why the pantograph? is there a plan for charging while on the road (from an overhead power source), or is it to simplify connecting the battery to the charge source at the end of the trip (in the depot) by eliminating cables, plugging-in etc?

[AkMar]

By pantograph, I presume you are implying a pantograph like in railways, which is raised to touch overhead wires & draw electricity. Navi Mumbai Municipal transport (NMMT) already has both these JBM bus models in their fleet, & their charging is through fast chargers in bus depots & bus stations using cables like any other EV. There must be some mistake in the website, or DTC has opted for some customisation. However the latter is very distant possibility

Edit. Just found a pic of NMMT's JBM bus charging on Google images. This is the 9 metre variant.



Image source

[saisree]

That's a good move from DTC. Happy to see Transport Corporations leaning towards EV's for the city commutes.

IMO, Pantograph option will be a viable option and would avoid break downs due to charge. San Francisco has these buses and are called trolley buses.

But, this requires lot of discipline from the bus drivers and we the general public not getting into those travel lines.

[benu9714]

I don't think the pantograph is meant for powering the bus during running, like a trolley bus, but for charging, whether on-route on in the depot.

I hear that Mr Gadkari is planning "electric" highways where trucks will take in charge from an overhead line while on a highway, and use this charge to re-charge on-board batteries as well as run the truck. For such an use trolley-bus type pantographs will be needed.

[dust-n-bones]

Pantograph makes so much sense for long distance transportation with minimal enroute stops. Almost like a dedicated lane freight corridor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3P_S7pL7Yg

Not sure if this would work for intra city commuting. Maybe put this infra over BRTS corridors?

[RohaNN_kWh]

I just came back from a 10-day vacation in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and was surprised, rather impressed to see multiple EV Buses plying on the road. I believe these were the same buses as in the pictures above.

I was under the impression that Andaman's geographic location would mean not a very well developed transportation infrastructure. But instead, almost all government vehicles are TATA Nexon/Tigor EV's.

A quick google search says that the Governor of Andaman flagged off multiple EV Buses this year.

The Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands flagged-off a fleet of 14 electric buses on Republic Day. The project for 40 electric buses is being executed by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN Limited), a 100 percent subsidiary of NTPC Limited, a PSU under Ministry of Power, Government of India. Charging infra for these buses has been established with the help of the local electricity department and APWD in Port Blair. Routes in South Andamans have also been checked for load and driving conditions.

[volkman10]

Electric bus breaks down hours after being flagged off in Delhi.


Link

[RM Motorsports]

The Delhi government allocated Rs 1,862 crore for getting electric buses over the next 10 years. The Centre has provided Rs 150 crore.

Delhi needs this kind of public transport.

[condor]

This is part of the nation-wide program under the FAME scheme, as seen in this pic: