Giving fillip to e-buses in city, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will extend support to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for establishing flash-charging based electric articulated bus system. This system is latest evolvement in the e-vehicle charging landscape and its USP is that the battery of a bus can be charged in a flash, within 20 seconds. The system is live in Geneva, Switzerland where ABB has commissioned it recently. Nagpur is selected for the pilot project in the country by MoRTH and under it, NMC would deploy 30+ articulated buses having 18 m length with passenger capacity of 130 passengers. With 6+ overhead 600 kW flash chargers at selected bus stops, the bus system will provide non-stop service on Ring Road with a frequency of 15 minutes, operating for 16 hours and catering to more than eight thousand passengers every day.

 

NMC, after procuring these buses in future, will deploy it in periphery of city to bridge the existing gap in the public transport system. Meaning, these buses would be leveraged to tap the people who are residing on the outskirts of the city, along the Internal Ring Road, for providing last mile connectivity. These e-buses would have rapid charging facility so that they can provide more services for connecting the commuters with Nagpur Metro route. As Internal Ring Road has seen rapid expansion, especially on Southern and Eastern periphery of city, more number of buses are required to provide faster and assured connectivity that would pull more commuters to Nagpur Metro. Flash-charging technology allows the articulated buses to be charged in 15 seconds at the bus stops with the overhead flash-chargers, thus reducing the need for elongated charging times at the depots under the conventional charging regime. The project will ensure last-mile connectivity in the Ring Road area and the peri-urban areas of Nagpur and will provide seamless travel from metro stations to other parts. The buses will feature global-standard comfort and aesthetics, equipped with CCTV systems, overhead storage similar to aeroplanes, pantries and vending machines, as well as seats with laptop tray tables and charging points. The flash-charging articulated buses, equipped with sustainable and advanced technologies, will benefit the environment while reducing operational costs.

 

These buses will not only boost the passenger capacity of public transport in Nagpur but also improve the overall experience for commuters. Pantograph DC fast-chargers: These chargers would be affixed mostly at the stops that are earmarked for buses so that twin objective can be achieved, meaning by the time people disembark the battery would get charged. These e-buses are equipped with Pantograph type antenna that rises as it nears the chargers that can have a charging power of 150 kW to 600 kW. The Pantograph integrates with the over head charger and within 20 seconds, the battery is fully charged. Flash charging experts say it can help reduce the cost and weight of electric bus batteries. Due to fast charging, these e-buses would be able to cover longer routes. Further due to lesser charging time, more time would be spent on the road helping the commuters.