The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued two tenders to procure 100 air-conditioned (AC) electric buses for its north and east clusters. The buses are expected to be deployed for providing last-mile connectivity to Delhi Metro passengers. The scope of work of this tender includes procurement, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of battery charging Infrastructure for these electric buses in the respective depots.

Suppliers are also expected to develop bus depot infrastructure for the repair and maintenance of buses on land provided by DMRC at the given locations. The total cost of procurement is going to be around ₹3.63 billion ($51.1 million). The date of commencement of work is ten months and 15 days from the date of issue of the letter of award.

According to the tender documents, winning bidders will be compensated by monthly payment on the operational expenses (OPEX) model.

The minimum operational experience required by the bidder under this tender is 338 passenger car unit years during the last three years (up to the last day of the previous month of the tender submission).

The bid security amount to be submitted by bidders is ₹5 million ($70,000). The last date for bid submissions for the tender is October 23, 2019.

Several state transport agencies are currently on the lookout to procure electric buses. Recently, Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) issued a Request for Proposal to select bus operators for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of 50 air-conditioned electric-powered buses under the phase II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME II) program.

Mercom recently reported that the Andhra Pradesh state government was looking to deploy electric buses on specific routes in the state. Consequently, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has issued a tender to procure 350 air-conditioned electric buses.

Shaurya is a staff reporter at MercomIndia.com with experience working in the Indian solar energy industry for the past four years in various roles. Prior to joining Mercom, Shaurya worked with a renewable energy developer and a consulting company. Shaurya holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.