India's first hybrid bus delivered by Volvo to Navi Mumbai

With the on-going Make in India week in Mumbai, Volvo has delivered the first hybrid buses to Navi Mumbai. The occasion had Stefan Lofven, Prime Minister of Sweden handing the figurative key of the bus to Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Also present at the event were Akash Passey, senior vice President of Volvo business region international and VRV Sriprasad, business head for India and South Asia. Navi Mumbai is the first city in India to embrace hybrid buses.

The hybrid buses have been certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The Volvo 8400 City buses come under the category of Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of Electric and hybrid vehicle (FAME) scheme provided by the government which allows around Rs 61 lakh as subsidy. The total cost of the hybrid bus is around Rs 2.3 crore.

Commenting on the event, Akash Passey said, “This is a significant development that the first hybrid bus being introduced in India is a Volvo. Our first electromobility journey in India started with an investment back in 2007. From developing BRT solutions to cleaner technologies, we have always taken the first initiative. The 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 hybrid mobility solutions.”

The Volvo 8400 Hybrid bus is powered by a diesel and electric parallel hybrid system. The diesel engine is a 5-litre inline 4-cylinder motor which is coupled to an electric motor which delivers a combined output of 162.2PS of power. On cranking, the hybrid bus uses the diesel engine to start up, which is later taken over by the electric system. The electric motor powers the bus up to the speed of 20kmph above which it switches back to the diesel engine. This system benefits in every start and stop occasion, helping to save on fuel consumption and achieve reduced emission. The hybrid bus is equipped with re-generative braking system which also contributes to charging the Lithium-ion batteries.

Being hybrid, the bus is low on noise levels inside and outside. On the tech front, all buses will have an on-board system which monitors and generates fuel consumption reports, battery status and usage and overall monitoring of the bus for fleet management. Volvo has provided the 8400 hybrid bus with a unique driver training system which promises to return maximum possible performance from the system. 

Volvo 8400 City bus range currently does duty in 34 cities across the nation. After Navi Mumbai, the next phase of Volvo hybrid buses will be adopted by Thane.

Image courtesy: carandbike