India’s first e-taxi to hit Hyderabad roads on Monday

With an aim to promote eco-friendly transport in Greater Hyderabad limits, the first electric taxi service will hit the city roads on Monday.
The e-Taxi which will be launched in Hyderabad on Monday | Express
The e-Taxi which will be launched in Hyderabad on Monday | Express

HYDERABAD: With an aim to promote eco-friendly transport in Greater Hyderabad limits, the first electric taxi service will hit the city roads on Monday.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is promoting these electric vehicles in the twin cities midst increasing air pollution. Hyderabad is one of the cities in the country with high-level air pollution.

As part of the World Environment Day initiative, India’s first electric airport taxi service in Hyderabad will be launched at Sanjeevaiah Park on Necklace Road. Five e-taxis will be flagged off by city mayor Bonthu Rammohan.

Green Mile director V Siddharth told Express that theirs was an electric vehicle infrastructure start-up company working towards sustainable transportation. “Our  initiative is a small step in the direction of making Hyderabad a cleaner city,” he added.

“Normal taxis are major polluters in the city. One diesel taxi emits exhaust fumes equivalent to what 25 private diesel cars emit. On the other hand, electric vehicles emit zero tailpipe emissions,” he claimed and added that the company, therefore, believed that e-taxis and charging stations were a perfect green initiative to make Hyderabad cleaner and greener.

The company has tied up with GMR for establishing a charging station at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

“Initially, we will run five e-taxis from different places in the city to the airport for the next two to three months and will increase the fleet strength up to 100. The passenger fare will be similar to that charged for a ride by diesel cars,” Siddarth said.

The cost of each e-taxi vehicle is around Rs 14 lakh without subsidy. As the Centre is committed to making Indian transport system run on electricity to make it non-polluting by 2030, it is providing incentives for purchase of such vehicles.

The e-taxi runs on a battery which, once charged, keeps the vehicle going for a distance of 90 km to 100 km. After every 100 km, the battery has to be recharged.

The Centre is providing a subsidy of around Rs 1.38 lakh and the state government 4 per cent tax exemption on each vehicle to reduce air pollution.

The Central government had launched a scheme, Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME), in 2015 under which incentives are offered for purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles — up to Rs 29,000 for bikes and Rs 1.38 lakh for cars.

Electric vehicles, along with alternative fuels like ethanol, are gaining traction as part of the country’s efforts to reduce  crude oil imports.

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The New Indian Express
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