Tata Electric Bus – Range, Charging & Government Orders

Tata Motors has grown its electric bus line-up gradually to support a cleaner, modern public‑transport ecosystem in India. Many of its models, such as the Tata Starbus EV, Tata Ultra EV ("Ultra 9/9 EV"), and the latest long‑distance ones like Tata Magna EV/"Magna EV intercity coach", reflect the diversified electric‑bus strategy of the company.

Range & Charging: What Tata's EV Bus Lineup Offers

• Ultra EV: The Tata Ultra EV 9/9 and similar 9‑meter-class offer a range of up to around 150 km per charge.

• Ultra 9/12 Electric: This one is for urban and urban-to-suburban use and returns about 150 km of range per charge.

• For typical intra-city use-frequent stops, moderate speeds-this range is enough to last a full working day, considering depot-to-depot cycles. The placement of the batteries on the rooftop and liquid cooling in the Ultra EV enhance reliability under unforgiving conditions.

• Charging: Most charging times are influenced by the depot infrastructure. Normally, the charging time ranges between 4-6 h under normal charging cycles.

These specifications, together with design features like low‑floor boarding, adequate seating capacity (e.g., 34 passengers for some Ultra EV variants) and EV‑friendly drivetrains, finally make Tata's buses fit for both dense urban runs and moderately longer intra‑city or inter‑city services.

Tata EV Bus Models Currently in Use

• Tata Starbus EV: A 12‑metre, low‑floor, fully electric bus designed for intensive intra‑city transport. Many city transport corporations have inducted Starbus EVs for urban commuting.

• Ultra EV (e.g., Ultra 9/9 EV, Ultra 9/12 Electric): Smaller in size; used for variable routes, including connectivity within urban, suburban, and city-periphery areas.

• Magna EV / Intercity EV - Ex. "Magna EV intercity coach": This is a more recent move by Tata to sell EV buses for longer-haul intercity or regional connectivity. Recent orders suggest there might be a growing need for these services along non-urban corridors.

Government Push & Recent Orders

The induction of Tata's electric buses comes along with an accelerated push by central and state initiatives for modernizing public transport and bringing down vehicular pollution:

Under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, launched in 2024, the Centre sanctioned support for 14,028 e-buses and the requisite charging infrastructure across the country.

As of 2025, the tender for 10,900 electric buses under PM E‑DRIVE attracted multiple bidders, including Tata Motors.

Major Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Surat, are to receive big shares of the e-buses.

On the ground: In 2025, Tata began delivery of 148 additional Starbus EVs to Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), reinforcing its existing fleet.

The first batch of Ultra EV air‑conditioned buses was likewise supplied to Srinagar Smart City Limited under a government initiative for Jammu & Kashmir's urban transport in the year 2024.

According to market data for 2024, thousands of electric buses were newly registered in India, and Tata Motors carried roughly 40% market share among heavy‑passenger EV buses that year.

Industry analyses at the macro level forecast rapid growth, with the Indian e-bus market to scale into hundreds of thousands of units by FY 2032–33, with supportive policies, urbanisation trends, and demand for low-operating-cost, low-emission public transport.

Challenges & Broader Context

It is not a hiccup-free transition. The tendering process under PM E‑DRIVE has been under legal scrutiny: in 2025, a competitor firm challenged bid submission issues, calling attention to complications with large-scale procurement under the government’s scheme.

Besides, such wide-scale adoption demands proper charging infrastructure, readiness at depots, and reliable power supply, especially in cities with heavy traffic or difficult geographical features. Experts underline that digital scheduling systems, depot‑level planning, and robust infrastructure form the preconditions of scalable, sustainable deployment of e-buses.

Still, the combined push-from manufacturers like Tata Motors, supportive government schemes, and growing urban demand-appears to be laying the ground for a long-term EV‑based public transport transformation.

What this means for Indian cities- including the NCR

The ramp-up of electric buses offers a way to cut urban air pollution, reduce fuel dependency, and modernize public transit fleets in metro regions such as Delhi–NCR and states surrounding Gurugram (Haryana). Models like Ultra EV-compact can adequately serve peri‑urban and suburban routes while standardized 12‑metre buses like Starbus EV can offer high‑capacity urban commuting.

With central incentives under PM E-DRIVE and a growing number of tenders by state transport bodies, the viability of large‑scale EV bus deployment is on the rise. To operators and city planners, as also to commuters, this may well be a signal toward a cleaner, more efficient future.

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