Mumbai: BEST Will Have 100% Green Energy Buses by 2023, Says General Manager Lokesh Chandra
"Green hydrogen is the fuel of the future in India. I ride comfortably in my car which runs on hydrogen. Also, petrol and diesel have become expensive and therefore it's high time we switch to alternate fuels such as hydrogen, electric, biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol, which are currently in production to power vehicles of the future," Gadkari said at the BEST event in Mumbai.
Mumbai, August 21: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) general manager Lokesh Chandra recently said that BEST has proposed to convert 220 diesel buses from Mumbai in order to make it run on "green hydrogen". He also said that a pilot project for the same has been planned with the Union Transport Ministry.
The decision comes a few days after Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated India's first double decker electric bus in Mumbai. It must be noted that "green hydrogen" is much cheaper and pollution free than diesel and petrol. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Unveils India’s First Double Decker AC Electric Bus in Mumbai (See Pics).
According to a report in the Times of India, the idea to convert diesel BEST buses to "green hydrogen" ones comes from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who during the inauguration said that said that his car runs on green hydrogen power. Gadkari's Toyota Mirai is India's first Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Reports suggest that the car can travel 600 kms on a full tank.
Giving Gadkari's example, Chandra said that BEST wants to explore similar technologies as it wants to get rid of all polluting buses in its fleet. He also said by 2023, BEST will have 100 percent green energy buses.
"Green hydrogen is the fuel of the future in India. I ride comfortably in my car which runs on hydrogen. Also, petrol and diesel have become expensive and therefore it's high time we switch to alternate fuels such as hydrogen, electric, biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol, which are currently in production to power vehicles of the future," Gadkari said at the BEST event in Mumbai. Mumbai: BEST’s First Electric AC Double Decker Bus Enters City, To Be Launched Tomorrow; Watch Video.
The senior BJP leader also said that the country should be researching and developing alternative fuels like "green hydrogen" in order to make them available for all. He also spoke about Ethanol and said that the cost of running a car on ethanol will be Rs 65 per litre.
"As a country, we are rice, corn and sugar surplus. We need to use them to increase production of ethanol. It'll also bring revenue to farmers," he added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2022 09:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).