Petrol and diesel are hazardous, and a switch to electric fuel is required, said Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, on Tuesday. Gadkari believes that developing new road infrastructure would reduce travel time and pollution.
"We are working on 27 express highways. We are making special roads across the country, " Gadkari said.
Gadkari called petrol and diesel 'hazardous' and said that a switch to electric fuel is required, adding that India is looking at e-highways as electric commute would be cheaper.
"As much as 60 percent would be solar powered; this would change the economics. Methanol rate is Rs 22 per litre. We need methanol engines to run trucks. We can also make hydrogen from coal and green hydrogen from water, and 70 percent cost in making green hydrogen is power," he said.
The Union Minister expects many trucks and buses to run on hydrogen in a year. "Logistics cost is 15 to 20 percent compared to China and European nations," he said.
'Scrapping policy is most beneficial to automobile industry'
Talking about the new technology, he said it is an asset and he wants to make the automobile industry the number one manufacturing hub in the world. "It is time to scrap old trucks," he said as he requested the auto industry to do the same.
He believes the sale of trucks would increase by 20 percent by scrapping old trucks. "Scrapping policy is most beneficial to the automobile industry," he said.
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The government is aiming at least 2,000 scrapping centres in the country to begin with and is already developing battery chemistry.
He said India requires 10 lakh e-buses in the country, and the government has already received tenders.
Gadkari also said if there are savings, every transporter would replace their old vehicles and use alternate fuels. "My suggestion is to leave it to the people to decide, we don't need to market the idea," he said.
He added that the price of petrol and electric cars would be the same in two years. "We are already looking at alternatives for cement and steel. Prices will fall with alternatives in the picture," he said.
Gadkari also said that India is seeing an 85 percent rise in exports of commercial vehicles and that it is also in the 5th position in terms of growth globally.
'Industry not up to the mark when it comes to road safety'
Talking about road safety, Gadkari said that the ministry is working on road engineering, educating people and emergency services. "We need cooperation from all stakeholders. The dark spots have been identified. We are looking at road audits of 52 spots," he said.
Gadkari said the industry is not up to the mark when it comes to road safety. "The industry should either convince me or be convinced by me," he said, adding that the industry says that mandating six airbags would increase the cost. He requested the industry to consider the safety of the people.
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