Fresh Bus Starts E-Buses Fleet On Bengaluru-Tirupati Route
Fresh Bus, a new-age intercity EV bus service, has launched its first electric bus fleet on the Bengaluru-Tirupati route. The newly launched Fresh Bus is a 12 m premium coach with a capacity of more than 45 seats. Fresh Bus services are currently available on the Bengaluru-Tirupati route at a special inaugural fare of Rs 399 per seat. The company will also commence services for the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route later this month.
With 0-100 per cent charging within 2 hours, Fresh Bus can travel up to 400 km at a maximum speed of 90 km per hour. Fresh Bus is also equipped with a range of features that provide a premium flight-like in-cabin experience to intercity bus travellers in India. The smart buses aim to elevate the bus travel journey with features like noise-free fully air-conditioned cabins, comfortable seating, uniformed and friendly crew, 45° seat recline, best-in-class seat pitch, IOT-enabled real-time air-quality and temperature monitoring, amenity kits, personal charging docks, Wi-Fi, real-time tracking, and more.
The Fresh Bus fleet is also equipped with safety features like regenerative braking, temperature sensors in batteries, CCTV surveillance, medical kits, onboard fire extinguishers and a pink seat feature for female travellers.
The company says that their drivers are vetted through a rigorous process including alcohol level checks, random drug testing and regular training and driving quality checks. The e-bus service also provides 24x7 real-time assistance to travellers through the Fresh Bus app and customer support center.
During the launch, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, said "Electric Vehicles are the future of transportation and new-age professional bus brands such as Fresh Bus will usher in a new era of travel that is cost-effective and green. This will also promote the ecosystem of Electric Vehicles and create new jobs for young tech professionals in our country. This is a testament to the fact that we can achieve sustainable development while promoting economic growth.”
The Bengaluru-based EV bus startup had raised Rs. 26 crores in seed funding from ixigo (Le Travenues Technology) earlier this year. Fresh Bus is a full stack technology-enabled smart bus operator, building and owning the customer experience for travellers end-to-end across finding, tracking and booking their electric intercity buses via the FreshBus website.
Speaking on the Fresh Bus experience and the company’s expansion plans, Sudhakar Reddy Chirra, Founder of Fresh Bus, said, "Fresh Bus will focus on premium quality and customer experience to make bus travel an elevated travel experience for all. We are initially launching 24 electric buses this month across Bengaluru-Tirupati and Hyderabad-Vijayawada. In the next phase, we will start services on top 100 routes across India covering routes from/to Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa, Pune and more. By the end of 2026, we expect to scale to 1000+ electric buses, set up 100+ charging stations pan-India and save over 4000 hectares of the forest!"
