Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd has handed over India’s first ethanol-fuelled city bus to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for trial run in Nagpur. Anders Grundströmer, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Senior Vice President, Scania Group and Sivakumar V, Director – Sales, Scania Commercial Vehicles India handed over the bus keys to Nitin Gadkari, Honourable Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping
and Rural Development, Government of India in the presence of Sanjay Gangopadhyaya, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Prof. Shri Anil Sole, Mayor, Nagpur City and Shri Shyam Wardhane, Commissioner, NMC.
The key hand over was followed by the flag off of the bus by Shri Nitin Gadkari in the presence of NMC officials.
Expressing his thoughts over the handover, Anders Grundströmer said, “We are delighted and proud to be able to venture this unique initiative along with the NMC. This represents an important step towards our common goal, the realization of energy-efficient and sustainable public transportation solutions in India. We have expertise and experience with ethanol run buses for more than 20 years. We view ethanol as the future for public transport. The use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel is the best example of what can be done here and now in sustainable development work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.”
There is now a growing interest in ethanol-operated vehicles. In recent years, Scania has also delivered ethanol buses for commercial service in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Norway and other countries. Ethanol accounts for around 90 percent of renewable vehicle fuels available in the world today and can be sourced locally, which will reduce the need for import of oil. It is the most cost-effective biofuel in the market in terms of availability, infrastructure and accessibility. Compared to a conventional diesel engine, ethanol-powered vehicles can reduce fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent. Ethanol also offers the best operating radius of the currently available renewable fuels for city center and urban operations. “Public transport on ethanol buses is a cost effective way of reducing several of the ity’s environmental problems. The solutions we are now developing create the necessary preconditions for both more attractive forms of travel and also better living conditions in city centers, without requiring major investments in new infrastructure. With this ethanol bus we also introduce an engine complying with Bharat stage 5, which is a huge step to minimize emissions
further. Biofuel is the sustainable solution for urban public transport here and now,” Anders Grundströmer added.
