It is being operated on a longer route

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has started operating the second electric bus (from Ashok Leyland) in the city.

The MTC completed the trial run of the first electric bus on the A1 route between Thiruvanmiyur and Central Railway Station. The second electric bus covers a longer distance.

A senior official of the MTC confirming the operation of the second electric bus said the trial run of the first bus lasted three months and the second one was delivered a week ago.

The bus is being operated on a longer route to test the battery performance. He said the new electric bus was being operated in a circular route, covering three routes starting from Broadway.

Three routes

The air-conditioned electric bus is operated with the first leg starting from Broadway to Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Bus terminus in Koyambedu (route no. 15S), the second leg from Koyambedu to Siruseri (Bus no. 570S) and the last leg from Siruseri to Broadway (Bus no. 102).

The new bus has similar external features with minor modifications and differs only in the technical specification.

Covers 200km

The new e-bus has a chargeable battery, while the previous one had a battery swap technology.

The MTC official said the new e-bus could run for a minimum of 200 km on a single charge, whereas the first e-bus with battery swap technology could operate only for 40 km.