Indian bus body builder Veera Vahana, in collaboration with energy startup Exponent Energy, has launched the Veera Mahasamrat EV, touted as the fastest-charging electric bus in the world. This new model features an impressive 320 kWh LFP battery pack operating at 650 volts, which can be rapidly charged in just 15 minutes using Exponent Energy’s advanced 1 megawatt (MW) charger.
According to Exponent Energy’s announcement on LinkedIn, the Veera Mahasamrat EV is designed to cover a distance of 650 km with two brief stops for rapid charging at designated highway charging stations. The bus is powered by a 190 kW permanent magnet synchronous motor located at the rear axle, enabling it to accelerate from 0 to 30 kph in under ten seconds and reach a top speed of 98 kph, along with the capability to climb a 17-degree incline.
The companies plan to operate the Veera Mahasamrat EV on the popular route between Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Hyderabad (Telangana) in southern India. Arun Vinayak, co-founder and CEO of Exponent Energy, noted in an emailed statement to electrive that his company is among the first in the world to develop a 1-MW charging solution using proprietary technology, emphasizing that Tesla has also developed standards on top of the nearly standardized megawatt charging system (MCS) currently being tested in Europe.
To facilitate this operation, Exponent Energy will install four 1 MW charging stations—one at each end of the route and two along the highway. Although Vinayak mentioned that the company is actively working on this project, he did not provide a specific timeline for its completion.
K. Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director of Veera Vahana, highlighted the importance of rapid charging stations in making electric buses viable for long-distance travel. “It’s difficult to package a single battery to deliver 600km of range and with long charging time – customers are not willing to wait for an hour along the highway,” he stated.
The Veera Mahasamrat EV is claimed to be the world’s first two-axle, 13.5-metre-long electric coach, with dimensions of 2.6 m in width and 4 m in height, and a wheelbase of 6.85 m. The bus has a gross vehicle weight of 19.5 tonnes and can accommodate up to 36 passengers. To ensure passenger comfort, Veera Vahana has equipped the bus with air suspension at both the front and rear.
While the companies did not disclose the price of the Veera Mahasamrat EV, it is reported by The Aruj Gurav, an Indian YouTube channel, that the cost is approximately 22 million rupees (about €236,000).
