Friday, 22 August 2014

Scania hands over the first ever ethanol driven city bus in India for trial run to Nagpur Municipal Corporation

Nagpur, August 22nd, 2014:
 Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt Ltd, a leading commercial vehicles and engines manufacturer, today handed over India’s first ethanol-fuelled city bus toNagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC)for trial run in Nagpur.

Scania hands over the first ever ethanol driven city bus in India for trial run to Nagpur Municipal Corporation
Mr. Anders Grundströmer, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India and Senior Vice President, Scania Group and Mr. Sivakumar V, Director - Sales, Scania Commercial Vehicles India handed over the bus keys to Shri Nitin Gadkari, Honourable Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Rural Development, Government of India in the presence of Shri Sanjay Gangopadhyaya, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Prof. Shri Anil Sole, Mayor, Nagpur City and Shri Shyam Wardhane, Commissioner, NMC. The key hand over was followed by the flag-off of the bus by ShriNitinGadkariin the presence of NMC officials.

Expressing his thoughts over the handover, Mr. Anders Grundströmer said, “We are delighted and proud to be able to venturethis unique initiative along with the NMC. This represents an important step towards our common goal, the realizationof energy-efficient and sustainable public transportation solutions in India. We have expertise and experience with ethanol run buses for more than 20 years. We view ethanol as the future for public transport. The use of ethanol as a vehicle fuel is the best example of what can be done here and now in sustainable development work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.”

There is now a growing interest in ethanol-operated vehicles. In recent years, Scania has also delivered ethanol buses for commercial service in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Norway and other countries. Ethanol accounts for around 90 percent of renewable vehicle fuels available in the world today andcan be sourced locally, which will reduce the need for import of oil. It is the most cost-effective biofuel in the market in terms of availability, infrastructure and accessibility. Compared to a conventional diesel engine, ethanol-powered vehicles can reduce fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent.Ethanol also offers the best operating radius of the currently available renewable fuels for city center and urban operations.

"Public transport on ethanol buses is a cost effective way of reducing several of the city's environmental problems. The solutions we are now developing create the necessary preconditions for both more attractive forms of travel and also better living conditions in city centers, without requiring major investments in new infrastructure. With this ethanol bus we also introduce an engine complying with Bharat stage 5, which is a huge step to minimize emissions further. Biofuel isthe sustainable solution for urban public transport here and now," Mr. Anders Grundströmer added.

Scania has delivered ethanol buses for more than 20 years to countries around the globe with successful operational and environmental results. Ethanol fuel has much lower CO2 emissions compared to a diesel engine. The technology is mature and viable for intense everyday city service, as verified by bus operators in cities all over the world.

In India, Scania buses & trucks have been specially designed to meet local conditions and customer requirements, and are backed by world classservice network and dealership in the country. Scania has also gained a strong foothold with several new customers across the country for both trucks and buses and is working ondelivering high quality transportation solutions and services for India. Customers are highly appreciative of the value add that Scania solutions bring to their fleetwith an unbeatable Total Operating Economy (TOE).

Scania’s major focus is on changing the way India views transportation by bringing in new and innovative technologies through constant R&D in India followed by entry into a wide range of industries and segments. The ethanol bus is one step towards achieving this objective.

Scania India
Scania has been represented in the Indian market since 2007, when a partnership was initiated with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T has successfully established Scania’s trucks and services and has developed a close partnership with customers in the off-road segment. L&T currently operates about 11 Scania service workshops at various mining sites in the country and continues to be a trusted partner for off road including mining trucks.
In 2011, Scania established the company Scania Commercial Vehicles India Pvt. Ltd. in order to boost its presence through sales to additional segments of the Indian commercial vehicle market. Since then Scania has launched a range of on-road haulage truck models specially adapted for the Indian market- the R 500 6x4, the G 460 6x4 and theG 410 6x2 and also the off-road P 410 8x4 mining tipper.
In the beginning of 2013 Scania launched a new bus range, especially for the Indian market. Thenew bus range is purpose-designed for luxury intercity or charter travels. Scania also launched the company’s engines range in India. Scania has been establishing a network of dealers across the south and western regions of India covering its business areas to support the customers with the best parts and service availability.
The company inaugurated its Industrial Facility in Narasapura in October 2013. With an investment of Rs. 250 crores, this facility will serve as the centre of the company’s commercial operations in the country. Scania’s ambition is to sell about 2,500 trucks and 1,000 buses per year in the Indian market within the next five years and employ about 800 people at this facility.
The industrial operation at the factory currently consists of final assembly of trucks with bodywork and will shortly begin with the building of complete buses with bodywork. The service workshop and a central parts warehouse, is housed at the same site. 

SCANIA INDIA'S  1st Ethonol Run Bus Handed Over to Nagpur Municipal Corporation for Trials

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