The Hindu Business Line : Tata Motors to bring out hybrid bus

Mumbai, Oct. 15 Amid much talk about hybrids in the personal vehicle space, Tata Motors is working on this greener and fuel-efficient model for public transportation.

The country’s largest bus manufacturer plans to bring out a few hybrid buses for demonstration in March. The hybrid model will be at least 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the conventional models and targets the city transportation segment.

Demonstrable vehicle

“Tata Motors has embarked on a programme for making hybrid buses and we are hoping by March we will have a demonstrable vehicle,” Mr Prakash M. Telang, Executive Director – Commercial Vehicles, told Business Line.

“In city transportation, we think, hybrids will make lot of sense. It will be CNG plus electric or gasoline plus electric,” said Mr Telang.

“You would have a CNG engine or diesel engine, which would provide power.

“That power would either be connected to the wheel directly or through an arrangement connected to a generator set which will generate power and it charges batteries which will drive the wheels,” he said.

“Considering the entire system that it works and advantage that it means for the engine, it can work at constant speed. In the starting-stopping city operations the energy is not wasted.

“It is collected back and put into the system. It gives at least 20 per cent more fuel efficiency,” he added.

However, Mr Telang said that it requires governmental support to promote this environment-friendly vehicle to bring down its cost and make it attractive to the potential buyers.

Subsidy scheme

“In most of the European cities, there is some kind of subsidy made available because hybrid ensures much cleaner way of transportation.

“Since the costs are high some kind of subsidy can be worked out.

“India can probably work on how we can move forward in this direction,” he said.

“We want to take this project forward and we are only hoping that the government will come forward to make it a success,” he added.

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