Overheating of a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) electric bus has prompted safety concerns, with officials indicating that investigations are underway by manufacturers.
The incident, which occurred on April 5 at Bidadi Depot, marked the first reported case of overheating since the introduction of electric buses into the BMTC fleet in 2021. The bus, while undergoing charging, experienced battery overheating, triggering the activation of the fire detection and suppression system (FDSS). Although smoke emerged from the bus, it did not catch fire.
An official stated that, the bus did not catch fire but the FDSS was activated due to overheating of the battery. The released carbon dioxide as a result of the FDSS activation gave it the appearance of fire. The manufacturers will conduct tests and identify the reason for the overheating. They will be submitting a report to BMTC.
The electric bus involved in the incident is affiliated with Switch Mobility, an electric vehicle (EV) venture under Ashok Leyland. Despite covering a significant distance of 1,18000 km, the bus experienced overheating. Switch Mobility operates 300 EV buses, collectively traveling 67,500 km per day, making it the highest distance covered by any operator under the GCC.
BMTC currently manages a fleet comprising 5,643 diesel buses and 503 electric buses, including 90 Midi 9Mtr Non-AC buses, 300 12 Mtr Non-AC buses, and 113 12 Mtr low-floor Non-AC buses. In a bid to promote eco-friendliness, BMTC has secured approval for the acquisition of 320 non-AC electric buses, 120 AC electric buses, and 10 double-decker AC buses under the GCC model.
