Bus electrification

Post Covid-19, a significant change in bus electrification is expected.

India ranks second in bus population after China globally. Like China, this market too is striving for electrification. It is doing so with the intention of curbing emissions. It is also doing so with the intention of plugging the supply and demand gaps which exist. The post Covid-19 situation has ensured that there is a significant change in the outlook in terms of providing transportation to millions of people as they look at returning to work and travel. While electrification of city buses, a domain that Deepti Thore

is largely with the public STUs, underway to an extent, and under the premise that these buses are capable of reaching every part of the city, electrification of buses is a factor that has many complexities attached to it. And, this despite the fact that buses are an important mode of transportation and their capacity can be rapidly increased with a modest capital input. Of the opinion that buses need to be put at the centre of policy and developed to full capacity, even if metro systems are implemented, Dr. A K Jindal, Advisor - e-Mobility, New products and Technology, Tata AutoComp Systems expressed that there are several advantages to be reaped. Buses are comprehensive and provide the required connectivity to the peri-urban and rural areas around the city, he added.

Stating that buses are cheaper than other transport mediums in terms of capital as well as the recurring costs per passenger kilometre basis, Dr. Jindal averred that bus operations are also highly

as well as quickly scalable in terms of expanding their scope, and also in terms of the change of participation. A prime candidate for the participation of the private sector, bus operations, he explained offer high level of flexibility in terms of adaptation to the change of city plan for example. Capable of being environment friendly through the adaptation of greener and less CO2 emitting technologies, Dr. Jindal informed that bus operations make it easy to implement a national policy or programme that takes into consideration the local and regional needs. Revealing that per passenger trip, buses emit just 10-25 per cent of the particulate matter and Co2 compared to other transport modes, Dr. Jindal said that the shift to e-buses can lead to further reduction in these figures.

e-BUs teCh Of the opinion that buses are a crucial mode of public

Dr. A K Jindal, Advisor e-Mobility, New products and Technology, TATA Autocomp Systems Limited.

transport in a populous country like India, Sajid Mubashir, Scientist G, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India at Ministry of Science and Technology, mentioned that technology should be modified or adapted to work in a tropical environment like India. For e-buses to be compatible for operation in India, the need for them is to be set to 25 degrees. The need is for the batteries to be compatible. Battery conditions dramatically alter in India due to higher temperatures, Mubashir revealed. With

electric buses at an inflection point, there is a need for the right technology, he averred. Touching on the presence of tech-savvy companies in the e-bus space in India, he said that some companies have gone to the extent of adapting their technology to the tropical operations in the country. Stating that a BYD e-bus carries three-tonnes of battery pack which is tropical condition friendly, Mubashir explained that lithium-ion phosphate batteries are safe, but require effective cooling. The BYD bus, he informed, has an onboard charger of 80 kilowatts and hub-mounted motors (motor is inside the wheels). The e-bus, he added, carries not just its own charging apparatus and takes the whole night to charge, its battery is big enough for the bus to run the whole day.

Drawing attention to the operation of city buses in India along well-defined routes and with a fixed passenger load, Mubashir stated that the

energy use of such e-buses is predictable. He termed the city bus operations as energy efficient and a good candidate for regenerative braking due to their frequent starts and stops. Informing that a trip length of a typical city bus is generally 40 kms, Mubashir said that repeated small charges during the day, between trips, are good for the battery. Most operators however, do not prefer this (opportunity charging). Pointing at Microvast’s ability to fast charge (20 minute full charge battery), he remarked that they deploy Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) batteries.

Highlighting the need for buses to be lighter and sans heavy batteries, Mubashir expressed that opportunity charging needs to be looked

Nayana Gunde, Honorary Chairman and Managing Director, PMPML (Pune).

at. It needs to be looked at in a situation where utmost reliability, efficiency and sanitisation are the need of the hour. For charging lakh or two lakh buses it is quite difficult to meet that scale with overnight charging. For opportunity charging there are various charging methods which can be used, he informed. There are variations of CHAdeMO, CCS and GB/T which are different methods for battery electric vehicles, explained Mubashir. Revealing that CHAdeMO connector is identical across the globe and is a stand-alone plug that can be with or without an AC connector, he said that its use enables fast charging. Of the opinion that CCS (Combined Charging System) is one of several competing charging plug (and vehicle communication) standards for DC fast charging, Mubashir averred that GB/T, apart from supporting quick charging, enables the vehicle connector to be locked in its bracket to guard against vandalism.

e-BUs BAttery teCh Informing that there are two types of batteries for e-buses, Lithium-ion phosphate

Sajid Mubashir , Scientist G, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India at Ministry of Science and Technology.

and Lithium titanate oxide, Mubashir mentioned that they are suitable for higher temperatures in India. They are safer and temperature tolerant, he added. Developed by Arumugam Manthiram and John Goodenough, Lithium iron phosphate batteries are non-toxic and display excellent thermal stability. They also exhibit good electrochemical performance and holding capacity. Lithium titanate oxide, at the other end, is good for opportunity charging. Batteries made from this material use lithium titanate nanocrystals instead of carbon and have a larger surface area of 100 sq.m/g compared to 3 sq.m/g for carbon. They charge quickly and provide high currents when required. They also have a long cycle life of 10000 cycles at 25 degrees. Even at 55 degrees they give 1000 cycles. Needing to be charged often, batteries made from lithium titanate nanocrystals help meet certain strategic goals. This is true with the other types of batteries as well.

With e-buses often described as the battery trojan horses, the use of battery technology holds much significance. In what is considered as an interesting

Microvast’s Modularised Battery System.

development, the BYD bus, mentioned Mubashir, carries a battery pack that weighs a good three-tonnes. Yutonghas, he added, carried even bigger batteries. Mubashir opined that the ACC (Battery Cell) manufacturing mission must be linked to the spread of electric buses in India as a large volume of bus batteries would be required. With many organisations in India contributing towards successful operation of electric bus fleets, it is essential that the ACC manufacturing mission is engineered to encourage the spread of electric buses with good availability of batteries, he added. Mubashir also pointed at how the deployment of EVs in Kolkata has earned themselves

Lithium-ion phosphate batteries.

The image is used for represenTaTive purpose only.

global recognition on the basis of their planning as an organisation for the plying of buses along the routes, and in terms of infrastructure.

sUCCess story of eV BUses In InDIA Stating that the cost of operation of electric buses is less than that of the diesel buses, Nayana Gunde, Honorary Chairman and Managing Director, PMPML (Pune), informed that the organisation spends Rs.90 per km to maintain a diesel or CNG bus. Under the new financial model, the cost of running a small e-bus is Rs.68 per km and that of running a big bus is Rs.74 per km, she added. PMPL is running around 135 buses in Pune. While organisations like PMPML are coming to see the lower operational costs of e-buses, a more indepth assessment over the entire lifecycle of the bus is necessary under typical Indian operating cycles and ecological environment. This is especially necessary because despite all the good intentions behind implementing e-mobility, the progress in the development of e-buses has been slow.

Several reasons are being stated for that. Many of these are said to lie in various standard processes and financial developments. There are some factors as well, which are resulting in high anxiety and uncertainty in the adoption of e-mobility. The high initial acquisition cost of e-buses is making government subsidies crucial without a doubt. The Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model is found to be favourable but has its own set of challenges. From the OEM perspective, repeated cancellation of tenders has been one of the issues. They have had to replan time and again. The entry of new players at the other end has added an edge to the competition and has resulted in margins slipping to levels that are hardly viable. Under pressure to keep the fares low, the operating bodies and in-turn the government of states and the centre are finding it tough to support the growth of e-buses on a scale that influence the drop in vehicles emissions from public transport buses considered as a whole.

With the filling of viability gap becoming a big challenge, electrification of buses is facing many challenges. If the Covid-19 situation has added to it, a new way to look at e-buses is made necessary. This is especially true when factors like uncertainty of payments is there. Factors like the need to provide bank guarantees are there. These are highly concerning factors for operators along with high cost of funds and need for longduration funding. Funding provided for only four to five years is proving to be insufficient. Especially when one considers that a bus operates on the road for 10 years.

PraCTISInG SelFrelIanCe

tier-one CV industry supplier, Jamna auto industries ltd. has been practising self-reliance through 100 per cent localisation.

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There are not many commercial vehicles that Jamna Auto Industries (JAI) Ltd. does not supply their leaf spring suspension systems to. Referred to as India’s largest, and among the world’s third-largest, manufacturer of tapered leaf springs and parabolic springs for automobiles, for their endto-end after-market distribution and manufacturing processes, the company has been focusing on high value-accretive products like the BSVI compliant spring series. Practicing self-reliance through 100 per cent localisation even before the prime minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, JAI has been procuring the raw material entirely locally for its products. Mentioned Bhupesh Mehta, President, and Head -- Aftermarket, JAI Ltd., that initiatives like ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ have the potential to boost the economy. He averred that there was a need for the CV market to revive quickly, and for a highly positive mid- and longterm growth trajectory.

Of the opinion that the Covid-19 situation has led to companies introspecting

as well as going back to the drawing board to redraw the cost rationalisation strategy as well as pursue digitisation, Mehta averred, “Initiatives like ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ will help the CV industry to grow and sustain.” “In the long-term,” he added, “it would help reduce reliance on other countries for parts.” Said to have engaged Ramco Systems to upgrade its ERP system, especially that of its Yamunanagar plant, which would pave the way to a company-wide digital transformation with four more plants of the company being brought up to speed, JAI

Bhupesh Mehta, President, and Head-- Aftermarket, JAI Ltd.

is following a well-chalked out strategy to expand its product portfolio. Working towards further digitisation of its ways of working with the hope that efficiency upgrade will follow, the company is keen to standardise as well as gain a unified view of operations. Remarked Mehta, “We want to achieve our goal of a paperless and efficient office.” “We want to provide innovative solutions for ease of doing business,”he added further.

new Age ProDUCts Catering to CV majors like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, VE Commercial Vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra, Force Motors, Isuzu Motors, SML Isuzu, Toyota and UD Trucks, JAI has introduced new products under the BSVI line-up like lift-axle, stabiliser bar, pneumatic suspension, trailer suspension. The company has also introduced allied products like ‘U’ bolts and ‘Z’ springs. Confident of achieving good growth through the good market acceptance of BSVI products, the company is closely observing the change in the pace of some of the CV segments. Manufacturing multi-leaf springs from threekilograms to 200 kg for CV and speciality vehicles, JAI is keen to help CV makers present impressive BSVI offerings that are cleaner, more efficient, better performing, reliable and have a lower TCO.

Using 51CrV4 material procured locally for the manufacture of springs, JAI is carrying out considerable investments in the area of design and development. It has designed and developed springs that are strong and capable of withstanding the field severity associated with springs deployed in heavy-duty CVs. It has also designed and developed springs that are used in speciality vehicles and account for a good deal of customisation. The hybrid, conventional and parabolic leaf springs developed by JAI have found good success. Their lightweight yet sturdy construction has been well appreciated. These leaf springs have contributed to the CV maker’s ability to address the dynamic needs of the market, and to meet the regulations that have been coming one after the other. With the conditions of roads at many places highly

deplorable despite the big talk about modernising infrastructure (the Mumbai-Goa national highway or the national highway stretch between Pune and Satara with a heavy toll tax for example; the horribly unsafe national highway stretch between Mira Road and Gujarat border with heavy toll tax for example), it is the CV suspensions that take the most beating.

Operating nine state-ofthe-art plants strategically located at Yamunanagar, Malanpur, Jamshedpur, Pune, Chennai, Pilliapakkam, Hosur, Pantnagar and Lucknow, Indore and Adityapur, JAI is investing in quality. It is ensuring that its products are of the highest quality standards; are highly reliable, and free of any defect. Investing in mistakeproofing through Poka-Yoke, the company is hoping that the recent measures announced by the Government will help the economy recover. “The government has announced different measures to help the MSME sector in the country,

which would benefit the Indian automakers in multiple ways,” said Mehta. He mentioned that factors like skill development, interest rate reforms, scrappage policy, infrastructure development, business-friendly government policies and lower GST rates will benefit the CV industry. The other factor that will help the economy, according to Mehta, is the rural economy uptick. He remarked, “Currently, in the rural areas of India, it is mainly agriculture that accounts for 17 per cent of the GDP and employs over 50 per cent of the population. The rise in rural demand will drive growth in the LCV segment.”

DIgItIsAtIon Of the opinion that the agriculture sector appears to have been relatively less impacted by the lockdown, sustaining the demand for tractors thus, Mehta expressed that it is the rural economy that will play a pivotal role in the growth of Indian economy and the auto industry. Rural India has two-third the country’s population. The 70 per cent rural workforce generates 46 per cent of the national income. With many transport companies adopting a huband-spoke model that enables long-haul CVs to re-distribute their load to LCVs, helping them to reach villages faster, fleets are significantly changing their ways of working. Closely following such and other trends emerging, JAI is investing in digitisation to ensure better efficiency and ease of doing business. Through ERP upgradation, it is looking at standardisation and unified view of operations. It is looking at offering better stock visibility, and to achieve better end-toend material planning. Looking at efficient scheduling of operations, the company is also working towards seamless flow of data that would enable it to track sales analysis and vehicles across the supply chain through geo maps, dealer portals and interactive dashboards, and management and MIS reports available at the click of a button.

dICV dIGITal BUlleTIn aPP.

Daimler india Commercial Vehicles (DiCV) has introduced ‘DiCV Bulletin’ app.

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After making a major announcement regarding an entry into the used CV market and the good response received in the market for its BSVI CVs, DICV has introduced an app. called ‘DICV Bulletin’. An indication of a significant shift in the market towards contactless communication and business operating procedures, the app. is about an ability to leverage the power of the internet to interact with the customer, connect with him in the best possible manner and provide him and the other stakeholders

Chulanga Perera, Chief Information Officer,

with the necessary information in the safe and effective way. Said to be tailored for the needs of the customers, the app. would enable DICV to share up-to-theminute information on a realtime basis. Expressed Satyakam Arya, CEO & Managing Director,

Satyakam Arya, CEO & Managing Director,

DICV, “The app. would help them to enhance their ability to communicate and carry forward their customer-centric initiatives without endangering the safety of their customers as well as the stakeholders involved.”

new mIlestone

By exporting over 35,000 commercial vehicles and 150 million parts to more than 50 markets globally, DICV has achieved a new milestone. It has, in the process, added malaysia to the list of its export destinations. exporting ‘Completely knocked Down (CkD)’ kits to malaysia, the CV major has announced that its manufacturing operations at oragadam, Chennai, are playing the role of an important international manufacturing hub within the Daimler group. exporting over 5500 CkD kits to south Africa, kenya, Vietnam and Indonesia, the company, according to shrikumar V Unnithan, DICV’s head of International Business & Beyond trucks, is continuing to export new products and parts with the help of 350 plus local suppliers. having exported more than 32,000 trucks and 3,500 buses since 2013, DICV is instrumental in ensuring that other Daimler group locations around the world are able to access high-quality Indian auto parts for the vehicles they make. A win-win situation, according to Unnithan, the company is driving

exports as one of its key strategic pillars on the road to long-term growth. A win-win solution, according to Unnithan, the export initiatives of DICV is providing the Indian supplier community access to Daimler group’s global supply chains. mentioned satyakam Arya. DICV, that there is the only Daimler location worldwide that produces engines, transmissions, trucks and buses at the same site under four brands – BharatBenz, fUso, mercedes-Benz and freightliner.

Enabling an instant twoway communication with its customers and stakeholders, including dealers and suppliers, the ‘DICV Bulletin’ app. was developed in-house by the DICV IT team in less than three months, according to Arya. Mentioned DICV CIO, Chulange Perera, that digitisation is the best way to improve business sentiment and efficiency. Providing stakeholders direct access to multimedia information on products, services and business updates through the app., the CV major, according to Perera, is driving its customercentric initiatives effectively. Designed and developed to ensure a win-win relationship with its customers as well as the dealers and suppliers, DICV is confident of increasing its reach in the Indian market. Claimed to buck CV slowdown in the September 2020 quarter by announcing a sale of 2,817 units during the respective period as compared to the sale of 2,672 units in the corresponding period last year, the CV major is providing the app. to its dealers, suppliers and select customers on Google Play and App store. It is doing so with the intention of gathering feedback and to eliminate any bugs that may have been left behind. DICV is looking at using the app. to enable its stakeholders to participate in surveys and polls and to give feedback to its business partners.