Chennai's electric buses cross 3 crore km, save 1 crore litres diesel
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai has crossed a milestone in its electric bus operations, with the fleet covering a cumulative distance of three crore kilometres within 14 months of launch. The announcement was made on Wednesday, highlighting the progress of sustainable mobility in the city.
The electric bus service, operated by private operator Switch Mobility under a contract with MTC, began in June last year with 120 buses and a charging depot at Vyasarpadi. Since then, the fleet has grown to 625 electric buses operating from five depots: Vyasarpadi, Perumbakkam, Poonamallee, Central Workshop, and Tondiarpet.
MTC Managing Director D. Mohan said the service has saved more than one crore litres of diesel, preventing an estimated 25,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. He noted that this emission reduction is roughly equivalent to planting about 15 lakh trees, underscoring the environmental benefits of the transition to electric vehicles.
The financial savings from reduced fuel consumption have reinforced the State government's commitment to expanding the electric fleet. The government has announced plans to procure 1,000 additional air-conditioned electric buses in the 2026-27 financial year, with a long-term goal of operating 3,000 such buses to replace the ageing diesel fleet.
While urban electric bus operations have proven successful, private operators of long-distance buses remain cautious about adopting the technology. They point to inadequate charging infrastructure on highways, battery management issues, longer turnaround times, and concerns about reliable power availability as major hurdles.
Manish Rathi, CEO of Intrcity SmartBus, a prominent private intercity bus operator in the State, explained the difference between urban and long-distance electric bus operations. Urban buses follow predictable routes and return to their depots, where they can be charged over several hours. In contrast, long-distance buses may travel hundreds of kilometres a day, often crossing multiple cities and highways, making extended charging stops impractical.
"A bus cannot afford to spend significant time waiting for a charge because every additional hour affects utilisation, schedules and passenger experience," Rathi said.
Rathi acknowledged that electric buses are the future for economic and sustainable operations. However, he stressed that the highway charging ecosystem in the country is still developing and must become more widespread, standardised and dependable before large-scale intercity adoption is feasible.
Long-distance operators view the shift to electric buses not simply as replacing diesel engines with batteries, but as an ecosystem upgrade that involves technology integration, charging alliances, and a phased transition strategy.
The MTC's achievement demonstrates the viability of electric buses in urban public transport, while also highlighting the infrastructure challenges that remain for extending electric mobility to intercity routes. As the government pushes ahead with its electrification plans, the experience of both urban and long-distance operators will be critical in shaping the future of sustainable transport in the region.
