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This story is from July 17, 2019

'Electric highway trial on new Delhi-Mumbai expressway in 2-3 years'

'Electric highway trial on new Delhi-Mumbai expressway in 2-3 years'
NEW DELHI: Two new modes of transportation - a 10-km pilot electric highway on the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai expressway and a Metrolite, barricaded light rail tracks passing through tier-II and III cities - will be launched in the next two-three years. Both will have overhead electric supply to power the engines of trucks, buses and light Metro rails.
Highways minister Nitin Gadkari told Lok Sabha on Tuesday that his ministry, in association with heavy industries department, will run the pilot of electric highway.
Sources said the 10-km stretch would cost around Rs 200 crore and systems including overhead cable and substations have to be set up for trial run. They said a truck manufacturer would have to be enlisted to produce some prototypes.
Since 2016, there have been three demonstration projects of electric highway across the world, including a trial run that started on the A5 motorway outside Frankfurt in May. TOI on June 5 had first reported the recommendation of an inter-ministerial committee under Niti Aayog to pilot an e-highway programme.
"Trucks of 80 tonnes will be deployed and these will have electric cable to draw power from the overhead cable network... There will be two tracks and trucks with containers can run at 100kmph. The trucks will run on electricity for 20km and the battery will get charged to run on stretches where there is no overhead wire. Again, after some kilometres, these can tap the overhead wire and simultaneously get charged again while running," Gadkari said, adding that logistics cost will also reduce substantially.
While highlighting that India was set to be a leading electric automobile manufacturing hub in the next five years, Gadkari underlined the role of the Indian automobile industry. He said the government would consult all stakeholders to chart the path of electric mobility.
The minister said a multilateral funding agency had given in-principle approval to provide Rs 7,000 crore soft loan to take up works relating to road safety.
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