NEW DELHI: In line with government's initiative of developing green technologies in the automotive sector, Maruti Suzuki will display concepts for a hybrid on its SX4 sedan and an electric multi-purpose van at the upcoming auto expo.
The company is working on clean fuel technologies as part of a public-private partnership ahead of the Commonwealth Games. It will use its in-house R&D team for the vehicles, though much of the actual development hinges on access to technology and sourcing of various critical parts that are currently not easily available in India and come at a high cost.
The government's National Hybrid Propulsion Programme (NHPP) aims to develop a fleet of clean fuel vehicles for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games, much in line with what China did for the Beijing Olympics. Government has partnered a clutch of automakers who would collaborate to develop these vehicles that would be used for ferrying players. Half the cost of development work would be borne by government.
For Maruti, this would be the first individual effort on hybrids and electric vehicles. The company will deliver ten vehicles for the Commonwealth Games, and the concepts would perhaps be the first public platform where it will give a glimpse of what it plans to offer for the event, though actual commercial production will take some years.
Apart from Maruti, other companies involved in the NHPP programme include Tata Motors, M&M, Ashok Leyland, Eicher Motors, Bajaj Auto and TVS, besides members of the academia and research professionals.
The idea is to jointly work on hyrbid, electric and other clean feul technologies, while keeping a check on overall costs, including of innovation, labour and development. The NHPP will be a three-phase initiative with the first phase entailing demonstration of technology at Commonwealth Games in October 2010, the second phase stressing on R&D and localisation of technology by 2012 and the final phase culminating at localisation of technology for mass production by 2015-16.
source: timesofindia
