Tata Motors bags order for nearly 150 electric buses from Bengaluru

TML Smart City Mobility Solutions will supply, operate, and maintain all the new 148 electric buses for 12 years. The Starbus EV is a 12-metre electric bus and Tata Motors manufactures it in two versions: one with a floor height of 40 cm and the other with a floor height of 90 cm. BMTC has ordered the low-floor version for better accessibility and a more comfortable ride.

The Starbus EV’s low-floor version has a 400 kWh battery pack, which customers can charge through a CC2 charging port. Tata Motors employs a 245 kW motor in this model, giving it a top speed of 70 kph and the capability to climb a 17% grade.

Tata Motors offers the Starbus EV’s low-floor version in 35-seat and 17-seat configurations, with the latter having space for even two wheelchair parking spots. The former makes more sense for city bus use, and that is the version BMTC presumably specified. The company equips the Starbus EV with an air suspension for enhanced comfort.

In 2022, BMTC ordered 921 units of the low-floor Starbus EV from Tata Motors. The company has fulfilled most of this previous order and says the units it has delivered so far have an uptime of more than 95%. “This additional order of 148 buses is a testament to the proven success of our Starbus EVs and the operational excellence delivered in Bengaluru’s urban environment,” TML Smart City Mobility Solutions CEO and MD Asim Kumar Mukhopadhyay said.

By October this year, BMTC was operating a fleet of 1,113 electric buses across brands. Tata Motors’ electric buses alone have collectively logged more than 2.5 crore kilometres so far in Bengaluru, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 14,000 tonnes.

tatamotors.com, tatamotors.com (specs Starbus 4/12; PDF), tatamotors.com (specs Starbus 9/12; PDF)