 "JBM Solaris to invest Rs 300 for making electric buses in India")
JBM Solaris, a joint venture between JBM Auto and Polish automotive major Solaris Bus & Coach SA, will invest Rs 300 crore for making India's first 100 percent electric buses Ecolife in the country. The JV will make the investment towards engineering, design and development, manufacturing, supply chain development among other focus areas in this electric mobility project completely made in India. Ecolife was unveiled at Auto Expo in February this year by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping.
The key focus will be towards locally developing indigenous sources for all key aggregates, systems and components catering to domestic and global requirements. Solaris will bring in its domain strength in electric buses, while JBM Auto will provide it in-house engineering and design expertise, market know-how along with the manufacturing facilities and infrastructure. Production of Ecolife will start by Q4 of FY 16-17 at Kosi, Uttar Pradesh. Incorporating variants of 9 and 12 meters, JBM Solaris will further work towards indigenously bringing in the complete range of buses in further phases.
Nishant Arya, executive director, JBM Group, said, "Our association with Solaris Bus comes in as a just in time move towards developing green solutions that will transform the public transportation domain in India. This JV between JBM Auto and Solaris Bus perfectly aligns with the government's vision to make India a 100-percent electric vehicle nation by 2030. JBM Solaris is committed to contribute substantially towards this vision in the area of public mobility vehicles."
Dr Andreas Strecker, CEO, Solaris Bus & Coach, said, "We have supplied mass transportation solutions to more than 30 countries all over the world and we are extremely excited to partner with JBM Group. This joint venture is a very important step for Solaris Bus and will ensure introduction of our proven technology in electric vehicles. JBM and Solaris together are set to revolutionise public transportation in India with Ecolife using globally proven and affordable technology."
Ecolife is a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) as it is powered by lithium batteries, which are fast charging and runs upto 200 kms daily for city bus operation. This vehicle can also run on plug-in charging. The electric bus technology is adaptable to the city bus operation depending on demographic and geographic conditions.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%