KOLKATA: Bengal’s e-vehicle aspiration, particularly e-buses in public transportation, has hit a bump following a massive crunch in supply of lithium ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EV). The admission came from transport minister Firhad Hakim on Thursday at a symposium organised by the Merchant Chamber of Commerce.
Hakim said Bengal wanted to replace its diesel-guzzling, highly polluting bus fleet with zero emission e-vehicles at a faster pace but the acquisition of e-buses was not as easy. It requires a long waiting period after placing an order as there is a serious shortage of lithium ion batteries.
