Mumbai’s BEST is set to add 49 new electric buses within a week, after nine vehicles equipped with Blade Battery technology arrived at the Magathane depot on Saturday, according to a senior official quoted by The Times of India. The induction will take the operator’s fleet from more than 2,800 buses to potentially over 2,900.
The new buses, manufactured by Olectra Greentech Limited, are expected to be deployed on longer routes linking south Mumbai with the suburbs and on some services connecting the city with Navi Mumbai. The deployment is intended to give BEST electric buses greater operating range than the existing vehicles in its fleet.
The buses use lithium iron phosphate batteries integrated directly into the chassis. According to information reported by The Times of India, the battery system is designed to improve energy storage, vehicle stability and space efficiency while reducing safety risks associated with battery heat generation. The report said the new batteries offer at least 30% more energy storage than those currently used in BEST’s electric air-conditioned buses.
Existing electric buses in the fleet typically cover around 250 km on a single charge, while the new buses are reported to have a range of between 325 km and 500 km. The reported minimum range of 325 km on congested city roads could allow the buses to operate for up to two days without returning to a depot for recharging, depending on route conditions and operating patterns.
Charging times are also expected to support longer daily schedules. Sources cited in the report said high-power depot direct-current fast chargers can take the battery from 30% to 80% in approximately 30 to 45 minutes. A full charge is expected to take one to two hours, with the longer top-up period intended to protect battery-cell life.
A senior BEST official said the expanded fleet would include vehicles capable of running longer distances than the existing electric buses. “Our fleet of buses is over 2,800 at present and with the new buses joining the fleet, it could cross 2,900,” the official said, according to the report. The statement did not specify the route-wise allocation or the date on which all 49 buses would enter passenger service.
Olectra said the Blade Battery system is designed to withstand extreme climatic conditions and remain safer in the event of severe damage during an accident. The company official also said the batteries have a life exceeding 5,000 charge cycles, which could reduce replacement and maintenance requirements over the vehicles’ operating lifecycle. These claims were attributed to the manufacturer and were not independently assessed in the report.
For BEST, the immediate operational issue will be matching the buses’ longer range with route scheduling, depot charging capacity and passenger demand across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The operator is expected to proceed with the rollout over the week, beginning with the nine buses already delivered to Magathane depot.
