India’s electric highway bus ambitions ride on 2-minute flash charging

Developed by Tata Motors Ltd and EV startup EKA Mobility, the buses will operate at highway speeds of 100 to 120 km per hour on routes such as Delhi-Jaipur and Bangalore-Chennai, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The buses, designed to seat up to 130 passengers in fully air-conditioned cabins, will incorporate “flash charging" technology developed by companies including Siemens Ltd and Hitachi Ltd. The technology enables rapid battery top-ups, within as little as 20 to 120 seconds, at charging stations spaced roughly 20 km to 40 km apart. Each quick charge would allow the bus to travel another 40 km before the next top-up.

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“The rolling stock of new buses has been developed by Tatas and EKA," said one person familiar with the plan. “This would be tested in a pilot that we intend to start over next couple of months in Nagpur. The pilot’s success would allow us to deploy these buses along major expressways… initially up to 300 km such as on Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Dehradun, Delhi-Chandigarh, Bangalore-Chennai, Mumbai-Nashik, Mumbai-Nagpur routes."

Flash charging: High hopes and challenges

EKA Mobility, a unit of Pinnacle Mobility Solutions Ltd, will manufacture the buses at its Pune facility. Rohit Srivastava, chief growth officer at EKA, said the company is developing “an indigenous platform of electric buses with Ultra Fast opportunity charging technology popularly known as ‘Flash’ charging."

“This type of charging allows buses to get charged up within 20-120 seconds depending upon battery capacity. This eliminates longer duration time for battery top-ups and provides efficient, sustainable public transport," Srivastava said in an email.

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The buses will rely on an overhead pantograph system — similar to electric trains — that connects the charger unit to the bus each time it halts at a station, Srivastava said. “EKA Bus is equipped with advanced Lithium ion battery technology suitable for pantograph charging."

The EKA buses are expected to be 18 meters long, with total capacity for 130 passengers, Srivastava said.

EKA Mobility declined to disclose the per-unit cost of the electric buses or the associated infrastructure. Industry research firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the global bus pantograph charger market at $3.47 billion currently, projecting it to grow to $10.43 billion by 2030.

The pilot comes alongside India’s broader electric mobility push. Under the PM E-Drive scheme, the government aims to put more than 14,000 electric buses on the road in select cities by FY26, with an outlay of ₹4,391 crore. The programme offers subsidies of ₹10,000 per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity, with total subsidies per bus ranging between ₹20 lakh and ₹35 lakh depending on vehicle size.

The companies also declined to specify the exact battery chemistry used. According to information on Hitachi’s website, the Japanese technology firm has previously deployed its pantograph-based “Grid-eMotion® Flash" system in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Siemens declined to share specific project details but said it was engaged with multiple stakeholders.

“Siemens is committed to supporting the Government of India in establishing world-class infrastructure aligned with its visionary goals of Viksit Bharat 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070," a Siemens spokesperson in response to Mint's email query.

Email queries to Tata Motors Ltd, Hitachi India Ltd, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways remained unanswered till press time.

While several Indian cities already operate electric buses for intra-city routes, the government hopes this new intercity model will encourage more travellers to shift from private cars to public transport for regional trips.

“The plan is to make these buses not only a technological showcase but also ergonomically state-of the art with airplane-like seating, personal entertainment system and food service by uniformed bus crew," said the person cited earlier. “The aim is to encourage people to take up public transport in a larger way."

If the pilot succeeds, the buses are likely to operate under a public-private partnership model, the second person said.

Experts say the pilot could mark a crucial step in India’s push to decarbonize long-distance transport, provided the technology can scale.

“The move to develop intercity electric buses with flash charging is a meaningful step forward," said Nikhil Dhaka, vice president - public policy at consulting firm Primus Partners. “Our analysis shows India needs to deploy close to 20,000 electric buses each year to stay on track for its 2030/2050 targets. If flash charging can top up a bus in 30 seconds, it could remove one of the biggest constraints in long-distance electric travel."

India’s broader electric mobility goals include cutting oil imports, improving urban air quality and reaching net zero emissions by 2070.

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“Electrifying public transport is one of the most effective ways to cut air pollution, reduce oil dependence, and meet India’s climate goals," Dhaka said. “Buses are well-suited for electrification because they run fixed routes, carry many passengers, and operate daily."

The government is also considering a plan to fully indigenize the technology for nationwide deployment, the second person added.