Tata hybrid buses in India planned

Tata Motors told newspapers that they are planning to launch hybrid buses in India. The hybrid buses will be targeted at the cities.

Photo: A diesel-electric hybrid bus in Seattle

Hybrid vehicles usually have a conventional internal combustion engine that runs on either petrol, diesel or CNG and a separate electric motor. Very often, energy wasted during braking in a normal vehicle is harvested back to charge a battery in a hybrid vehicle. The accumulated charge can either power the vehicle fully, or assist the internal combustion engine, adding to the fuel efficiency figures of the vehicle.

Tata said they would be bringing out a few hybrid buses in March 2010 for demonstration purposes.

As of now, there is no manufacturer selling hybrid buses in India.

As public transportation in Indian cities are used by a large number of people who do not own cars, fuel- efficient and lower-polluting hybrid buses can significantly contribute to the clean air effort.

We are one of those who were a bit sceptical durign the Tata Nano launch – if transportation for the common man is what Tata was trying to offer, why not try to build cheaper, efficient buses – that was our logic. Of course, we recognise that it is not that easy. Public transportation is a bureaucratic mess, and even very efficient buses can do little to help it if the government does not do much.

In all ways, we think this is a welcome step. Like the numerous made in India cars and ultra low cost cars that are trying to follow the Nano, we believe this will prompt other auto manufacturers too to introduce hybrid buses for public transport.

Not that Tata Motors is having it any easy at the moment with their low-floor buses in New Delhi. There have been reports of seven separate instances of fumes and fire in the low-floor buses recently, resulting in a blame-game.

While Tata Motors said that the low-floor buses were intended for the smooth roads of the BRT, they were used on potholed uneven roads resulting in brakes jamming and causing smoke. The Delhi government, on the other hand, says that there was not enough maintence of the new buses, which Tata engineers were supposed to execute.