Navi Mumbai to be first Indian city to deploy hybrid Volvo buses
Volvo Buses is officially the first bus manufacturer in India to receive an ARAI certification to commercially deploy hybrid buses in the country. Navi Mumbai will be the first city in India to deploy these buses. According to Volvo, these buses are ready and will be handed over to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) after the Make in India event ends tomorrow. However, the buses will be deployed only once the authorities register them and complete all the necessary formalities.
The Volvo 8400 Hybrid City Bus is another variant of the existing Volvo City Bus, which runs a parallel hybrid system consisting of a 5-litre, 4-cylinder, in-line diesel engine and an electric motor. This system uses an optimal combination of the engine and electric motor for better efficiency and lesser emissions. The buses start on pure electric power and can cover a fair amount of the traffic clogged streets without needing any external propulsion. However once the bus gains momentum, the diesel engine cuts in and allows the batteries to get charged by the re-generative braking system.
"This is a significant development that the first hybrid bus being introduced in India is a Volvo. Volvo Buses has played a pioneering role in the area of bus-based public transport in many countries. From developing BRT related solutions, to cleaner technologies, Volvo has always taken the initiative with the intent to make a difference. The Volvo hybrid solution has a proven track record of saving 30 to 35 percent fuel. The technology also enables up to 50 percent reduction in hazardous emissions in actual customer operations. We are confident that this initiative will spur demand from other cities in India for Volvo's hybrid mobility solutions," said Akash Passey, senior vice president, Business Region International, Volvo Buses.
