Buying electric vehicles expected to take a toll on TTD’s finances

Move to replace fleet of diesel vehicles prompted by rising pollution

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s decision to replace its fleet of diesel vehicles with electric cars will take a toll on its finances, but in the long run will yield invaluable returns in the form of lesser pollution on the ghat roadsleading to the temple.

Initially, the TTD resolved to procure 40 electric vehicles (EVs) to replace part of its fleet of diesel/petrol vehicles. Depending on the reliability and performance of the EVs, their numbers would be increased.

After thorough internal discussions, the TTD found that about 60 of its officers were allotted hired vehicles. Twenty of these officers regularly make long trips on official work, which prompted the TTD to procure 40 EVs in the first phase.

Accordingly, the TTD entered into an agreement with Energy Efficiency Service Ltd (EESL) — a Joint Venture under the Union Ministry of Power — on a Dry Lease basis without a driver who the user agency shall engage through outsourcing. The drivers so recruited shall be imparted training for three weeks by EESL.

According to the agreement, the TTD shall pay ₹20,000 in addition to 18% GST, thus amounting to ₹23,600 as EMI every month to EESL for six years after which the ownership of the vehicles will be transferred to TTD.

Besides the operational charges, the TTD shall also bear an additional expenditure of ₹15 lakh for setting up DC charging stations at Tirumala and Tirupati. Against the normal consumption of seven hours for a full battery charge, the DC charging stations would fully charge the car’s battery in just one-and-a-half hours.

It is against this backdrop that TTD officials embarked on a trial run of mid-segment vehicles Mahindra Verito and Tata Tigor which are proposed to be supplied by EESL, and found the vehicles to be satisfactory.

Though the TTD found that the annual expenditure on 40 EVs added up to over ₹2.30 crore when compared to ₹1.68 crore for the hired vehicles, it decided to go ahead with the purchase of the electric vehicles given their responsibility in protecting the environs of the temple town.

The TTD also accorded permission to floating tenders for selecting an agency which would supply drivers to operate the new vehicles on its ghat roads.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of India Cements and former Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC) Naryanaswami Srinivasan, who has been inducted into the TTD board, has volunteered to donate five electric vehicles to the TTD.

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