Tata Motors on Tuesday said it is too early for it to firm up plans for commercial production of electric buses as more policy clarity on the segment is needed. It may be noted that the Government had announced Rs1,000-crore sops to boost electric vehicle sales.
“We have been showcasing our electric vehicles for some time now. However, it is too early for us to firm up our plans for a commercial launch of an electric bus, as we don’t know how much the manufacturers will get from the money allocated by the government and how much R&D spend can be clawed back,” Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Head and Executive Director Ravi Pisharody told the news agency here on Tuesday.
He said the company is already into no-polluting vehicles segment with CNG buses and small vehicles. The Government had earmarked Rs1,000 crore for the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020.
last week, Tata Motor’s rival Ashok leyland announced the launch of its electric bus Versa by 2017. The 36-seater Versa, which was showcased at the fourth Bus and Special Vehicle expo in Noida in the NCR can go 90 miles in one charge and is a zero emissions vehicle.