Zingbus shifts gear into "Electric"

As the world shifts towards sustainable transportation, the demand for electric and shared mobility solutions continues to grow rapidly driven by the need to address climate change, urban congestion and energy inefficiency.

EVs in India are poised for a take-off. Cities are adopting electric rickshaws and scooters, and car manufacturers are racing to launch affordable electric models. Another crucial sector that is at its tipping point for electrification is the intercity e-bus market. India's intercity bus network is vast, with over 10 million passengers relying on buses to travel between cities daily. With the significant commercial benefits of running an electric bus in comparison to ICE bus and the multiple subsidies from the government, the private bus companies are very keen to go electric in the next few years. This sector alone has the potential to decrease the CO2e emissions of the country by almost 11Mn tonnes and hence, is a big focus area for the MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport & Highways - India)

Is the Backbone EV-ready?

35k+ bus owners operate 260k+ buses across the country and 99% of these are small  operators (Fleet size < 10). This unorganized sector although excited about the electrification is facing significant challenges while contemplating the shift:

• The high upfront cost, coupled with limited financing options makes the transition daunting

• Lack of public, high speed charging infrastructure on highways. Bus operators cannot make the required investments on their own

• Concerns about battery performance on long routes and across lifespan makes the investment difficult

• Uncertainty around new and evolving technologies adds another layer of complexity

• E-bus operations are very different from the usual ICE buses the operators and the bus operators do not have technology tools to support the transition in a streamlined fashion

The Zingbus Approach:

The core philosophy behind our approach is “Empowerment”. We believe that the key for an inclusive and quick transition lies in making E-bus operations feasible for thousands of bus owners/operators who form the backbone of the industry. This is where zingbus is taking a full stack approach in creating a robust ecosystem by offering:

• Access to high-capacity charging network across India

• End-to-end fleet management

• Better and affordable financing terms

• End of life asset management

• Unique technology and partnerships for efficient operations

This will remove the friction currently being faced by these operators and provide them with a one stop solution for everything electric under one roof allowing them to focus on running these buses. 

What Does the Partnership Mean?

This strategic collaboration between Jio-bp and Zingbus is designed to support bus operators by providing the essential charging network needed for electric buses to operate efficiently on long-distance routes. These state of the art, high-capacity chargers will enable faster charging times, reducing downtime and making E-buses more profitable to be run on intercity routes. The partnership aims to deliver the best uptime, charge quality and affordable commercials for zingbus partner operators across 150+ strategic locations across the country in the coming few years.

Looking Ahead: A Sustainable Future

The Indian government has set ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions and boost electric vehicle adoption. As this high-capacity charging infrastructure rolls out, bus operators can look forward to smoother operations, lower running costs, and the confidence to switch to electric. As more bus operators begin to transition to electric fleet, the impact will be 

far-reaching. Not only will this reduce emissions and air pollution, but it will also support a cleaner, quieter, and more efficient transportation system.

With an aim to deploy 3000+ electric buses over the next five years across its network of bus operators, zingbus estimates to cut down 133k+ tonnes of CO2e annually — equivalent to the environmental benefits of over 6 million full-grown trees. We remain fully committed to our goal of “Reliable, Safe and Sustainable” travel for all.