The world is adopting electric vehicles (EVs) at a rapid pace. Recently, Optare, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland which is a part of the Hinduja Group, won an order for 31 double-decker EV buses for London.

These buses, collectively named the Optare Metrodecker, are being bought by Metroline and are likely to begin operating in London by 2019.

“Optare, along with active involvement of Ashok Leyland engineering, has been at the forefront of the e-mobility evolution and this order proves that it has the technology prowess expected from one of the most complex markets like the UK,” said Vinod K. Dasari, the managing director at Ashok Leyland.

According to the company’s media statement, this order delivers the largest pure electric double-decker bus fleet in Europe.

London is not alone in combatting poor air quality by introducing electric buses in their fleet of public transport. Recently, the Delhi government, fighting the unsavoury position of being the most polluted city in the world, announced that 1,000 electric buses will be deployed across the national capital. Soon the city will have the world’s second largest EV fleet, trailing China.

Of late, both state and central governments have been actively promoting the widespread adoption of EVs in the country.

In November 2017, the central government announced its plans to provide up to ₹1.05 billion in grant funding for the purchase of EVs to be used for mass transportation. The funding has been made available through a pilot project under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) program.

In line with the government of India’s vision of achieving 100 percent e-mobility by 2030, National E-Mobility Program was also launched in the country recently. The program is aimed at jumpstarting the entire e-mobility ecosystem, including vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, and service providers.

Moreover, to spark an EV revolution, the Ministry of Power recently issued a clarification stating that no license is required to operate EV charging stations in India. This is expected to boost the participation of more private players to create a nationwide EV charging station infrastructure.

Recently, Mercom published a report highlighting the hot spots for EVs in India.

Image credit: By citytransportinfo (MetrodeckerEV-BusExpo2016-BusExpo2016-P1390383) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons