Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to replace 50 fuel-run vehicles with EVs

Bhubaneswar: To gradually phase out diesel- and petrol-run waste transportation vehicles, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to replace at least 50 such vehicles with EVs.

Mayor Sulochana Das said existing vehicles of a certain brand would be exchanged to procure EVs. “We have our own diesel-run vehicles that are used in sanitation. Some have become old with mechanical defects. Naturally, they need to be replaced. Since we are gradually moving towards eco-friendly and cost-effective modes, we will initially have 50 EV vehicles to be used for sanitation purposes,” said the mayor.

BMC uses 450 vehicles for door-to-door collection of waste by self-owned vehicles. Besides, private agencies use vehicles to transport waste from source to the temporary transit station and to micro-composting centres and material recovery facilities.

“We will start with vehicles being used for doorstep waste collection. Those will have EV models replacing diesel-based ones. While our fuel consumption would be reduced, carbon footprint will also drop,” said BMC additional commissioner Kailash Chandra Dash.

BMC has also decided to use electric vehicles, replacing a significant share of its 90 diesel-run vehicles used for official and field work such as inspections and tours. The plan entails hiring 60 EVs, including 50 small car or sedan models and 10 SUV segment vehicles, supporting green mobility, lower fuel dependence and climate-resilient urban infrastructure goals.