Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka flags off JBM ECO-LIFE Electric Buses
JBM ECO-LIFE 100% electric buses were flagged off today by Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka today from Vidhana Soudha. Hon’ble Transport Minister of Karnataka Shri B. Sriramulu, Chairman of BMTC Shri. N.S. Nandeesha Reddy and Principal Secretary of Transport Shri. Rajendra Kataria were also present at the e-buses launch ceremony amongst other senior officials from JBM Auto Ltd.
The JBM ECO-LIFE electric buses will be running under the metro feeder services in the Smart City initiative. Earlier this year, JBM Auto had received an order of 90 non-AC electric buses for the city of Bengaluru. 25 buses have been flagged off today out of the first batch of 40 electric buses already delivered by the company to BMTC. The remaining 50 e-buses will be delivered in the coming months. This e-bus service marks the first-ever rollout of electric buses in the state of Karnataka. These buses shall be operated from the Kengeri, Yeshwantpur and KR Puram bus depots.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nishant Arya, Vice Chairman, JBM Group said, “JBM aims to create a state-of-the-art e-mobility ecosystem across India. We are a step closer to our dream with the launch of electric buses in Bengaluru. Our electric buses are already plying in the states of Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar, Gujarat and Delhi-NCR. JBM Auto provides a complete e-mobility ecosystem right from electric vehicles, charging infra, power infra to maintenance and support, thereby, providing optimum value to our customers”,
The 9 mt non-AC buses have a seating capacity of 33 passengers and a driver. These buses have a floor height of 900mm making it very convenient for the public to board and deboard the bus. They are equipped with 6 Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) battery packs that make the buses compatible to cover a distance of 120 km in a single charge with a maximum speed of 70 kmph. The e-buses have air suspensions in front and rear to provide a smooth riding experience to the passengers. These buses incorporate all modern features like Real Time Passenger Information System (PIS), Panic Buttons for an emergency, Automatic Bus Vehicle Location System, CCTV cameras, Public address system, Stop request buttons to name a few.
Real-Time Passenger Information System shall keep the location of the bus updated for the passengers travelling on the bus. Safety features such as CCTV cameras have been installed inside the bus that will aid in the uninterrupted surveillance of activities inside the buses. Passengers can use the stop request button to alert the driver to stop the bus at the upcoming bus stop. JBM ECO-LIFE bus incorporates other utility features such as Vehicle Health Monitoring System, Fire Detection & Suppression System, Public Address System, etc. For drivers, the ergonomically designed dashboard provides an intuitive and user-friendly system that allows drivers to concentrate on driving without distractions which makes it a truly global product.
JBM’s ECO-LIFE electric buses have been running successfully for the last two years in Navi Mumbai under Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport Corporation (NNMT). A total of 30 ECO-LIFE buses are a part of the NNMT. Earlier this year, JBM supplied 90 and 15 electric buses in Ahmedabad and Andaman & Nicobar Islands respectively.