"Ten battery-run vehicles will be ready for delivery by June 12 according to the company's production schedules and will be first launched in Delhi, closely followed by Lucknow," Nagarkar said.

Earlier, the company had plans to launch its vehicle in Lucknow first.

However, Supreme Court's intervention recently to protect the capital city from environmental pollution, particularly vehicular pollution, had made the company to shift its focus to Delhi, he said, adding the court intervention had also given a shot in the arm for M&M's venture.

While the Delhi Energy Development Authority's (Deda) facilities would be utilised for recharging batteries in Delhi, the position about Lucknow would become clear when the officials of the US-based Exide Corporation, which had evinced interest in setting upcharging stations there, visit India next week, he said.

Exide Corporation wants to set up battery charging stations in Lucknow under the banner of its Indian associate EV India Ltd, he added.

After a broad study, the company has decided to target the 10-seater vehicle at the point-to-point sharing transport operators in cities and towns, apart from its utility as a goods transport vehicle, he said.

The company had already tied up with a Ahmedabad-based firm for supply of regenerative braking device and Bangalore-based Integrated Electric Company Pvt Ltd for supply of engines, he said.

The regenerative braking device feeds back 15 to 20 per cent of power to the batteries during braking and at downward inclines, he added.

On pricing the vehicle, Nagarkar said talks were on with the state governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for some tax concessions, especially sales tax and octroi, to make this pollution-free vehicle more affordable.

"However, the price of Bijlee will be positively comparablewith the diesel three-wheelers on road today," he added.

M&M, Which also produces jeeps and tractors, had scheduled to produce over 700 vehicles of Bijlee in the current financial year, which would be increased to 5,000 vehicles during the next year, by when the concept of battery-run vehicle would be well-known, he said.

Total production during the current fiscal would be distributed only in Delhi and Lucknow, he added.

But the company had the wherewithal and capacity to set up additional lines of production whenever necessary, he said, adding the company had got enquiries from Nepal, Singapore and Egypt for exports.