The first Volvo hybrid city bus pilot will start in the first half of 2016 in Navi Mumbai with Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT). To promote environmentally friendly vehicles, the Indian government has recently launched the FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India) program, offering incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles. The Volvo hybrids will be manufactured in the company’s facility in Bangalore.

“Hybrid buses are an important solution for cities that want to reduce vehicle emissions. I am very proud that Volvo is the first bus manufacturer to introduce hybrid buses in India,”Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses, said in a statement.

“The unveiling of the first Volvo hybrid city bus in India is contextual given the impetus from the central government to popularize public transport, while supporting the adoption of clean technology. Volvo has played a key role in redefining urban commute for millions of passengers in Indian cities. Now, with the Volvo hybrid city bus we are confident of transforming the public transport landscape further, by inspiring more cities to adopt this solution,” said Akash Passey, Senior Vice President, Region International, Volvo Buses.

Volvo has sold over 2300 hybrid buses in more than 20 countries. The bus maker says that its hybrids offer a fuel consumption that is up to 39% lower than that of conventional diesel buses, which cuts CO2 emissions by the same amount and nitrogen oxides and particles by 50%. Volvo’s electric hybrids, which offer fuel savings of 75%, are currently running in regular traffic in the European cities of Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Hamburg.

Volvo has sold more than 5300 buses in India since 2001, with about 1500 city buses operating in 34 Indian cities.