We all talk of electrification. How does it all blend in then? The general step, according to discussions with various auto industry personalities, is that the 3-and 2-wheelers need to be electrified first and then we move on to the fleet market. Sounds right. After all these vehicles are the ones sold in bulk and hence electrifying them will make sense than trying for fringe ones. A casual conversation with Sunil Bhatnagar, head-energy division of Bhagwati Products, threw an interesting proposition. We all know that our usual garbage vans are the most polluting ones. The municipalities mostly don’t replace them and these smoke spewing trucks, while picking up garbage, throw up way more in terms of pollution. Sunil is of the opinion that the government should look at electrifying these vehicles. A garbage truck doesn’t travel long distances and fitting it with a smaller battery will not only be cost effective but useful too.
An electric garbage truck, at the most, travels less than 50km a day. Thereafter, it is parked at the respective municipal offices. During this time, the vehicle can be charged as well. In short, it is a win-win situation. The municipalities will save on a lot of fossil fuel and aside from the initial procurement cost, there will not be much in terms of maintenance either. Plus, the tag of being a green vehicle will add a feather to the cap of the government.
Currently, there are very few electric truck makers in India. It is likely that if the government approaches big players like Tata and Mahindra or even retro-fitting agencies like E-Trio, something can be worked out. A Noida municipal authority that we spoke with said that around 200 garbage trucks are being employed daily. When asked him about the electric garbage collector idea, he seemed a bit perplexed. However, his expression changed to positive when we told him about the benefits and plus the vehicle will be an automatic, thereby reducing stress levels.
Over to you, municipalities! And, to the electric vehicle makers.
