Bengaluru roads will soon see electric AC double-decker buses. The first batch of such buses will be operational by March, while more buses will be available by April and May, according to reports. LiveMint reported that the buses will be in service before elections commence in Karnataka, which are expected to be held in April.
The tender for the project was reportedly awarded to Switch Mobility, the electric vehicle arm of Ashok-Leyland. According to Mint, the first five electric AC double-deckers will be provided at a cost of Rs 10 crore. BMTC director (IT) AV Surya told the Times of India that the first such buses will likely operate on the Hebbal-Silk Board route, for the same cost as a Volvo Vayu Vajra bus operated by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

The first AC electric double-decker buses in India were acquired by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Twenty-two of the SWITCH EiV 22 buses, manufactured by Switch Mobility, are already in service while the BEST has plans of buying 200 such buses. The buses reportedly have a range of 250 km and can fully charge in 80 minutes. A digital tap-in/tap-out ticketing system will also be available on the buses, according to reports. ToI reported that the buses have wide doors, two staircases and an emergency door, and it can also accommodate up to 65 passengers at a time.