CESL unveils Grand Challenge to deploy e-buses in nine major cities
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) wholly-owned subsidiary, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has announced the launch of Grand Challenge- a set of homogenized demand for electric buses aggregated across nine cities i.e., Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, and Pune.
The Grand Challenge encourages state transport undertakings (STUs) to convey their demand for electric buses and access the FAME II subsidy, for which a total of 3472 buses of subsidy equivalent is available, as per an official release. CESL will then aggregate this demand and based on a rating system, STUs will be allocated their total number of buses. The aggregate demand will be tendered out for the participation of OEMs and/or operators for the discovery of prices based on Rs. per km.
Through the Grand Challenge, CESL aims to enhance its support to state governments in accomplishing their electric mobility targets and further build an infrastructure for electric mobility in the country. This tender is seen as a big step in the series of programs to fulfill India's commitment to making India a 'Net-Zero Emission' nation by 2050 and getting closer to accomplishing Energy Independence by 2047.
Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO, CESL, stated, the Grand Challenge is the beginning of aggregating demand for electric buses. It is based on an innovative, asset-light model that incentivizes the electrification of public transit. We hope that STUs will see the benefits of this exercise and come forward with their demand for buses.
"By reducing carbon emissions, I am confident that this mandate will help India in successfully meeting the net-zero target as defined by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The Grand Challenge will certainly encourage the faster transition to green mobility across the country while creating a synergy between private operators and state governments. We are already running successful two and three-wheeler EV initiatives in states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh and are optimistic that this new development will further our goal to attain transformation to EVs from fossil fuels in the coming years throughout the country," she added.
