To curb pollution, Telanagana to move to e-vehicles

While the government is in talks with several firms to get electric vehicles on lease, representatives from Chinese firm BYD (Build Your Dreams) Auto Industries Company Limited, which makes electric vehicles, met Rao on Wednesday. BYD is setting up a factory and production unit in Hyderabad.

“The CM said that day by day pollution is increasing due to vehicles and the only solution is switching to electric vehicles. He said that Telangana would encourage and promote use of electric vehicles. In the first phase, the government will order 500 vehicles for use in Hyderabad,” a state government official said.

Rao, who took a ride in an electric bus designed and developed by BYD, said he was very impressed by the performance of the vehicle.

BYD representatives said that once charged, the vehicles will travel 300-400 kilometres, and can be fully recharged in three hours.

The state government is also in talks with several private firms to partner with TSRTC to run air-conditioned electric vehicles in the city. The government has identified two firms that will lease 100 e-buses for a period of 10-12 years that will run on select routes from September.

The TSRTC will run the buses, manage the fares and pay the firms a commission. Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy said that the 40-seater buses will be air-conditioned, will come with WiFi and will run for 20 hours in a single recharge or run up to 200-250 km.