The Government on Tuesday initiated the process of looking for replacement of engines of BS-III and lower specifications used in buses, with electric motors, to be run in cities facing the problem of pollution, to reduce emissions. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari chaired a presentation in this regard
“The companies involved in research and development of such technologies promised that they will develop economically-viable model so that the purchasers of such buses may find it viable for a longer duration,” said an official, present at the meeting. “Hybrid systems of Internal Combustion engine and electric motors for cars have been successfully tested and are in the process of notification under CMVR. Hybrid systems for bus and three-wheelers are under testing process in some of the test agencies,” said the official.
Stressing that the promotion of such technologies will encourage the “Make in India” objective, Gadkari said that one of the developers of ICE has got the testing of three-wheeled auto-rickshaws retrofitted with electric motor completed on the test bench in one of the test agencies and will very soon start on-road testing in three cities.