The central government on Thursday (8 August) approved 400 electric buses for Karnataka, of which 300 electric buses would be allocated to state capital Bengaluru, reports The Times of India.
Of the remaining buses, 50 electric buses have been allotted the for Hubli-Dharwad and the rest for Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to run inter-city operations in an environmental friendly way. However, the lack of charging infrastructure, battery capacity and maintenance could be a challenge.
Earlier, the heavy industries and public enterprises ministry had sanctioned 5,595 electric buses to 64 cities for intra-city and inter-city operations in the country under the second phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Scheme (FAME India Scheme).
Under the scheme, Maharashtra received the most number of electric buses- 725 for intra-city operations, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 600 buses, Gujarat with 550 buses and Tamil Nadu with 525 buses.