Contrary to the global efforts of making electricity-run, eco-friendly vehicles, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), which once made India’s first battery operated bus ‘Electravan’ in Bhopal, has no plans to renew its manufacturing as it is a cumbersome exercise. Earlier, in 2003, the company had planned to set up a subsidiary that year.
The Navaratna company had sold approximately 300 Electravans including 10 buses in July 2002 to the Indian Institute of Technology Chennai. The following year BHEL received inquiries from various other state civic bodies and private organisations. Later it handed over the task of manufacturing of buses to its Jhansi unit and since then none heard of them.
“We have no plans to restart production of Electravan as it is not a cost-effective venture. Moreover, we had to be dependent upon suppliers for other equipments and even buy chassis and body of buses. We were manufacturing only motors and other power supply related systems,” BHEL Executive
Director Bhopal unit MK Dubey told Business Standard.
During 2002-03 the cost of the vehicle was Rs 11 lakh, and its operation on roads did cost only 55 paise per passenger per km. Interestingly this included electricity cost, maintenance cost, battery replacement cost and the interest to be paid on capital invested.
The 16-seater cruised Bhopal and various other roads of the country at a maximum speed of 40 km per hour with a capacity of 70 kms per charge and payload capacity of 1,000 kgs.
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The vehicle was free from the highly discomforting noise and vibration so common in equivalent diesel vehicles. It was designed by JB D’Suza and conceptualised for wildlife sanctuaries, safari parks and places of historic importance besides intra-city commuter service, airport shuttle service, postal service, mobile banking services and mobile kitchen services, institutes etc.
Electravan had ferried former US President Bill Clinton and Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf to the vicinity of Taj Mahal during the dignitaries’ visits.