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Transport dept takes a fancy to electric cars

Last Updated 16 June 2014, 20:52 IST

Buoyed by the successful run of the electric car being used by Transport Commissioner K Amaranarayana, the Transport department is all set to procure electric cars worth Rs 7 lakh each for all the 11 Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) in Bangalore for their daily commute.

The Transport department is sending a proposal to the Finance department for approving the budget for these 11 e-cars. 

According to officials in the department, the e-car which was procured for the Transport commissioner in April has already travelled 1,300 km, consuming 130 units of power at 50-60 paise per km.

Currently, the department is spending Rs 25,000 per month for each of the vehicle on hire being used by the 11 RTOs. With savings of about Rs 7,000 a month on the Commissioner’s vehicle, the department is optimistic that after buying e-cars for the RTOs, they will be able to recover the cost of the vehicles in two to three years.

Amaranarayana told Deccan Herald, “Apart from the monthly savings, the benefits of using an electric car are many. There is no noise pollution, no carbon emissions. Charging it for four to five hours gives you a smooth run for up to 100-120 km.
 Another advantage of the e-car is that it requires servicing only once a year and the battery lasts about 3 years. I will send the proposal soon to the Finance department. Hopefully, there should be no problem in getting approval”.

Discount sought

Transport officials say that they are in talks with the manufacturer to seek them some discount on the purchase of 11 cars. The company, it is believed, is also working on a fast charging system in which the hours required to fully charge the battery are reduced substantially.

The Transport commissioner recently won a green award at the Green Summit organised by the FKCCI for his green initiatives. 

In the past, he had received the State award for his eco-friendly efforts.

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(Published 16 June 2014, 20:52 IST)

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