Schedule a Call Back
Policies to increase e-buses sales to 75-80% this fiscal; CRISIL Ratings
Industry News- Aug 02,24
These schemes include Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles (FAME) (1 and 2), National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP) under Convergence Energy Service Ltd (CESL) (1 and 2), and PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
The supply of electric buses (e-buses) in India will surge 75-80% on-year, albeit on a small base, to 6,000-6,500 this fiscal (see chart in annexure), spurred by increasing deployment via tenders awarded under various schemes for procurement by state transport undertakings (STUs) through the gross cost contract (GCC) model.
These schemes include Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles (FAME) (1 and 2), National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP) under Convergence Energy Service Ltd (CESL) (1 and 2), and PM-eBus Sewa Scheme. Tenders awarded under these schemes had propelled orders for e-buses to 24,0001 at the beginning of this fiscal.
Efforts by the central government to reduce carbon emissions in public transport are driving e-bus adoption. This, along with favourable contracting terms under the GCC model, which has emerged as the preferred route for e-bus purchase by STUs, has supported deployment.
Gautam Shahi, Director, CRISIL Ratings comments, “E-bus adoption is truly in a sweet spot because the interests of STUs and bus operators are being taken care of under the GCC model, with optimal distribution of risk among stakeholders. For example, GCC is an asset-light model for STUs with no upfront cost of acquisition as e-buses are financed by bus operators. Bus operators, in turn, don’t carry any passenger traffic risk and get a steady income stream because of assured rentals per km with tariff revisions linked to inflation. Consequently, they generate a healthy internal rate of return of 10-11%2 over the tenure of the concession.”
That said, counterparty risk remains a key variable for operators when bidding for e-bus tenders as STUs with weak credit profiles have resulted in stretched debtor cycles in the past.
To manage this risk, the government has announced a payment security mechanism (PSM) under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in August 2023. The government is working on the modalities of setting up a dedicated payment security fund (PSF)3 to secure the receivables of bus operators in case there is a delay in, or failure to make, payment by STUs within the prescribed time as per the concession agreement.
Additionally, for the recently awarded tenders under the PM-eBus Seva Scheme, there is a provision that allows bidders to execute the concession agreement only after the PSM has been notified.
While the surge in e-bus orders will generate economies of scale in production, declining battery costs will lower the purchase price of an e-bus. The benefits of the potential decline in e-bus prices may be passed on to STUs by bus operators, in terms of rentals per km, thus further aiding adoption.
Pallavi Singh, Associate Director, CRISIL Ratings says, “Existing strong e-bus orderbook, along with the remaining orders of 7800 buses to be awarded under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme4 will give a fillip to the sector. Moreover, the government is expected to further augment this scheme, which, will continue to support growth of e-bus sales over this and next fiscal.”
Related Stories
Machine Tools & Accessories
EuroBLECH 2024 wraps up with encouraging results
With 38,946 trade visitors from 114 countries and 1.317 exhibitors on 160,000sqm gross space, the event reaffirmed its role as the world’s leading platform for innovation and business in this sect..
Read moreAuto & Auto Components
Suzuki and Toyota to start EV manufacturing in India by 2025
The new model will be built on an EV platform co-developed with Daihatsu, featuring a spacious interior and reliable battery power.
Read moreRailways
Freight corridors fuel equitable economic growth across India: Study
The DFC network spans 2,843 kilometers across seven states, with the 1,337-km Eastern DFC fully operational from Ludhiana to Sonnagar, Bihar, and the 1,506-km Western DFC nearly complete, connecting..
Read moreRelated Products
Tata Motors unveils facilities for development of Hydrogen propulsion tech
AUTO COMPONENTS & ACCESSORIES
Tata Motors, India?s largest automobile company, unveiled two state-of-the-art & new-age R&D facilities for meeting its mission of offering sustainable mobility solutions. The unveilings constitute of Read more
Tata Motors plans petrol powertrain for Harrier and Safari SUVs
AUTO COMPONENTS & ACCESSORIES
Tata Motors is in the process of developing a new petrol powertrain for its premium sports utility vehicles, the Harrier and Safari, as confirmed by a senior company official. Currently, these models Read more
Electric Vehicle Charger
AUTO COMPONENTS & ACCESSORIES
RRT Electro is engaged in manufacturing of customized Power Electronic Products over two decades having capability to Design, Develop, Prototyping, Regulatory Compliance testing & Certification, Manuf Read more
latest News
Subscribe to iNoW
For Industry News on WhatsApp, Give a Miss Call on: +91 84228 74016
