Indian electric bus operator GreenCell Mobility has announced plans to deploy more than 1,200 electric buses across two states under a recent government tender. The order, awarded by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a government entity, includes 1,222 electric buses to be deployed on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) or wet lease model for public transport services.
GreenCell Mobility will operate 472 electric buses across six cities in Madhya Pradesh, a central Indian state, with the vehicles supplied by VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and India’s Eicher Motors. Details about this fleet are yet to be disclosed.
The remaining 750 buses will be deployed across eleven cities in Andhra Pradesh, located on India’s southeastern coast. GreenCell plans to operate a mix of EKA Mobility’s nine-metre and twelve-metre electric buses, with 129 units of the EKA 9M model (offering a range of 180 km) and 621 units of the EKA 12M model (with a range of 250 km).
This contract forms part of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)’s PM E-Bus Sewa Scheme, an initiative targeting the deployment of 10,000 electric buses across 169 cities with populations under four million. The scheme, operating on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, is estimated to cost 576.13 billion rupees (approximately €6 billion), with the central government providing subsidies totaling 200 billion rupees (€2.1 billion).
GreenCell Mobility currently manages a fleet exceeding 1,200 electric buses in India, including 900 units servicing intra-city routes and 300 inter-city buses under its in-house NueGo brand. Additionally, the company operates 50 buses for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and maintains over 270 charging stations to support its growing fleet.
This latest order reinforces GreenCell Mobility’s position as a key player in India’s electric public transport sector, contributing to the country’s goals for sustainable urban mobility and reduced emissions.