Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has taken another major step towards cleaner and more sustainable public transportation with the launch of 25 new Type-I electric bus services of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) in Mandi district.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu virtually flagged off the new services from Paddal Ground in Mandi town, describing the expansion of electric mobility as an important part of the state government’s vision of a “Green Himachal.”
The Chief Minister said the state government has procured 297 Type-I electric buses to expand HRTC’s electric fleet. These buses are already operating in Shimla, Nahan, Nalagarh, Una, Haroli, Bilaspur, Dehra, Hamirpur, Palampur, Dharamshala and Nagrota.
With the required charging infrastructure now developed in Kullu, Mandi and Sundernagar, electric bus operations in these areas are also being expanded.
Highlighting the performance of the new fleet, Sukhu said Type-I electric buses have a prescribed driving range of around 180 kilometres at 80 per cent State of Charge (SoC). Their performance in the state’s challenging hilly terrain has been encouraging, he said.
An electric bus operating on the Shimla-Chandigarh route has successfully covered around 270 kilometres on a single charge, demonstrating the potential of electric buses for longer inter-city routes.
The shift towards electric buses is also helping HRTC reduce its operating costs. According to the Chief Minister, electric buses are generating savings of around ₹12–13 per kilometre in energy costs compared with conventional diesel buses.
The savings are expected to reduce HRTC’s fuel and operational expenditure while improving the efficiency of public transport services.
HRTC self-reliance target set for five years
Alongside the green transport push, the government has set an ambitious financial target for HRTC. Sukhu said the state government aims to make the corporation self-reliant within the next five years.
At present, the government provides buses to HRTC and extends an annual grant-in-aid of ₹840 crore. The corporation generates an equivalent amount of revenue through its own resources.
The Chief Minister said the government plans to further expand HRTC’s clean-energy fleet, with proposals to procure 1,000 more electric buses and 200 hydrogen-powered buses in the coming years.
The expansion is expected to reduce HRTC’s dependence on fossil fuels while supporting the state’s efforts to cut carbon emissions and promote environment-friendly mobility.
Push towards a ‘Green Himachal’
Sukhu said the government had envisioned a “Green Himachal” in its first budget and that the expansion of electric bus services is an important step towards achieving that objective.
He said continued investment in electric buses and charging infrastructure would help create a modern, reliable and energy-efficient public transport network across the state.
The launch of 25 new services in Mandi marks another significant step in Himachal Pradesh’s transition towards cleaner transportation, lower operating costs and a more financially sustainable HRTC.
