Pune-headquartered EKA, the subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries involved in manufacturing electric vehicles, is all set to bid for national and state tenders to supply its vehicles for public transport in various cities. The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) had recently granted the Central Motor Vehicles Rule (CMVR) certification for its nine-metre, zero-emission bus EKA E9, which allows the pure-electric bus to hit the streets.
Sudhir Mehta, founder and chairman of EKA, told The Indian Express that unlike other such buses, the software of EKA was developed in India. “For Chinese imports, the software control is based outside the country and that can be a concern for national security. Our whole operation and software is developed in India and thus that risk is negated,” he said, adding that bidding for the buses would start from the third and fourth quarter of this fiscal.
The 33-seater EKA bus can accommodate 33 standing passengers as well and is the widest in its category at 2.5 metres. Mehta said electric vehicles in India operate in three major categories – staff transport, public transport and school transport. The company is now aiming to bid for public transport with all major cities making a shift towards electric vehicles for public transport needs.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently stated that the state would go electric for all its public transport needs and his statement would serve as a boost to the sector, Mehta said. At present, the company’s Pitampura facility in Madhya Pradesh has a production capacity of 500 buses a month.
