FreshBus, a Bangalore-based startup that makes electric buses, has received seed funding of Rs 26 crore from ixigo to launch premium electric inter-city bus services in India. Smart bus platforms will use a full-stack model to provide a wide range of services, including noise-free, air-conditioned cabins, and comfortable seating. They also have uniform staff, security CCTVs, alcohol screenings, real-time tracking, personal charging stations, Wi-Fi, and other features.
FreshBus will launch its services simultaneously in Hyderabad and Bangalore. It will be equipped with 24 electric buses. The company is expected to announce the first routes in March 2023. In the next 2-3 years, FreshBus plans to expand its operations to more than 1000 buses across India.
According to FreshBus, the company claims that it will be a technology-enabled smart operator that provides a customer experience that is unique among existing inter-city bus aggregators. This will include booking, tracking, and finding their electric intercity bus via the FreshBus website and mobile app.
Sudhakar Reddy Chirra founded FreshBus. He was also the founder of Abhibus. ixigo acquired FreshBus in August 2021 under a cash-stock business transfer agreement. Sudhakar has more than 15 years of experience in bus management and technology-driven businesses.
Sudhakar Reddy Chirra (Founder & CEO of FreshBus), spoke about the new funding. He said that FreshBus was founded out of the desire to address the problems of inter-city bus travelers in India. FreshBus will address these issues by emphasizing quality and customer experience in order to make bus travel hassle-free for everyone.
He said, “We will provide an affordable and more environmentally-friendly alternative to inter-city public transport that is currently dominated by fossil-fuel buses.” One FreshBus can save more than 90,000 liters of diesel and close to 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions over a year. This is almost equivalent to nearly 10,000 trees having an impact on the environment!
Rajnish Kumar and Aloke Bajpai from ixigo stated that there are almost 1,00,000. These inter-city buses are diesel-powered and are a major cause of urban pollution. We are proud to support Sudhakar again with our joint vision of India’s future in which all inter-city buses will be powered by clean fuel. FreshBus buses can cover up to 375 km on one charge and emit zero emissions. This will make them more affordable, greener, safer, and more accessible.
