VIJAYAWADA: In an attempt to cut down on fuel consumption and pollution, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a super energy service company, to purchase 24 hybrid cars (read electric cars).
With this, the VMC has become the first municipal corporation in the State where electric cars will be used by the authorities for official purpose. Representatives of APSPDCL, APEPDCL and EESL convened a meeting on Friday with leading car manufacturers - Tata Motors and Mahindra - to discuss the purchase, including the cost, of the electric cars.
The Central government has decided to introduce electric cars in major cities across the country to bring down the level of pollution. At present senior officials working in various government departments, according to their requirement and entitlement, are generally using SUVs and other vehicles to discharge their duties. According to sources, majority of these vehicles, which are generally hired at exorbitant rate, reportedly emit toxic gases that affect the environment. It may take at least two more months to introduce the electric car facility in the State, said Municipal Commissioner J Nivas.
‘’In all, 300 electric cars have been sanctioned for the State; the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has been allotted 24 of these cars, which will be purchased by the State government in installment, to be paid over a period of six years,’’ Nivas said.