India, PMPML pauses double-decker e-bus plans amid battery and reliability concerns

Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has temporarily halted its plans to procure double-decker electric buses due to recurring issues with existing electric buses, as reported on The Times of India.

Issues include frequent breakdowns attributed to battery degradation and challenges posed by Pune’s traffic conditions.

The first DD battery-electric bus model on offer in the country is the Switch EiV 22 launched in 2022 and delivered, among others, in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

India, halted plans for procuring electric double deckers

India registered 2,100 electric bus units between January and June 2025, marking a 33% increase compared to the 1,571 units recorded in the first five months of the year.

Reportedly, committee comprising officials from the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) has been formed to assess viable options for deploying double-decker buses before any procurement decisions are made.

Currently, PMPML operates 490 electric buses (including a major Olectra fleet), with an additional 25 expected to be added next year. Despite the pause on the double-decker initiative, the broader procurement of 1,000 electric buses under the PM e-Drive scheme remains on track, is stressed. Issued in July 2025, the PM E-Drive scheme provides subsidies amounting to approximately €437 million (43.91 billion Indian rupees) for a broader target of 14,028 electric buses to be deployed across nine cities with populations exceeding four million.