Pune, Oct 16 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the state government will extend all possible support for the production of trucks and build other corridors like the Mumbai-Pune Electric Corridor.

“The electric truck with swappable battery manufactured by Blue Energy Motors is a ‘ revolution on wheels ‘ and considering its technology and efficiency, this sector will expand to a large extent in the coming days. The state government will provide all possible support to build other corridors like the Mumbai-Pune Electric Corridor,” said the chief minister.

“Since goods-carrying trucks generate a large amount of carbon emissions, there was a need for electric trucks in the public transport sector,” he said.

He said that it is a matter of pride that the concept and production of the entire complex engineering technology for electric trucks, the technology has been created in the country, especially in Maharashtra and Pune.

“A memorandum of understanding was signed in this regard at Davos. After that, the company has worked on setting up the project at a very fast pace. The Maharashtra government has adopted sustainable policies such as a policy to promote the EV sector and an alternative fuel policy, and the industry in this sector should benefit from it, and the environment should be protected through this,” said the Chief Minister.

He expressed confidence that these vehicles will receive a good response, as the prices of these trucks are competitive with diesel vehicles.

Fadnavis said that the technology developed for this electric truck is suitable for the Indian environment, and battery swapping technology will be a major revolution in the EV sector. Battery prices are coming down, and battery efficiency and lifespan are increasing.

He said that, therefore, in the coming time, a truck will be able to travel up to 400 kilometres instead of 200 with the help of batteries.

“This is not just a truck or an electric vehicle, but ‘software on wheels’, which is an example of making technology smart. It can be said that this is the beginning of the Tesla movement in cargo transportation,” he observed.

He said that this technology is not only cost-effective but also highly efficient. Sensors and smart technology installed in the truck will detect overloading, thereby ensuring compliance with traffic rules and accident control.

Chief Minister Fadnavis also said that solar energy generation is being accelerated in the state and that 70 per cent of energy will be consumed through solar sources by 2035.

–IANS

sj/dan