Hinduja Group's Optare bags order for e-buses

THE Hinduja group’s flagship firm Ashok Leyland said on Monday (10) that its British subsidiary Optare has bagged orders for 37 electric double-decker buses in London.

Optare PLC has entered a partnership with the Tower Transit Group to launch two new electric routes in London. The 37 zero-emission Metrodecker buses are being built at Optare’s factory in Sherburn, near Leeds.

“Optare’s win comes at a time when big cities are figuring out ways to cut down on emission and we are thrilled to be part of the solution,” said Ashok Leyland CEO Vipin Sondhi.

The buses “will save more than 1,800 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions… each year of operation versus a Euro 6 bus”, he added.

“With this order win by Optare, we are certainly looking forward to raise the benchmark not only in terms of market reach but also the innovation and technology that we bring into the industry,” he said.

Optare is strengthening its global position by being ahead of the curve in terms of e-mobility, Sondhi noted.

The Metrodecker had entered service last summer. The current order from Tower Transit, which was awarded contracts for routes 23 and C3, is the third major contract for the Metrodecker.

In June 2018, Optare had bagged an order for 31 double-decker buses from London Metroline. Optare hopes to have about 100 units in service by yearend.

With Wright Bus, a big player in UK bus market, filing for bankruptcy in September, Optare could vie for 50 per cent of the 6,000 London buses that the government wants to replace, said Optare’s CEO, Graham Belgum.

Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman of Ashok Leyland, too, has been optimistic about the new monocoque architecture designed by Optare, and the company’s expansion in the UK bus market.

Optare took a vital decision to shift focus to electric buses in 2017, and the company aims to gain from the administration’s decision to gradually replace all 6,000 buses plying in Central London with zero-emission models within a decade.

The company said it spent a significant amount of time over the past three years to understand the EV ecosystem and has developed a portfolio based on modular architecture that delivers “most mileage” using “least energy”.

“I am proud to see the Metrodecker EV consolidate its position in London with a second order on a further two routes.  This commitment is testament to the capability of the vehicle,” said Belgum.