National Highways for Electric Vehicles (NHEV) is gearing up for its 3rd TechTrial Run, set to kick off on World EV Day, September 9. This trial will see a 332 km stretch from Chennai to Trichy, featuring Electric, Hydrogen, and Zero Emission Freight vehicles for the first time, alongside electric SUVs & Buses that were tested in previous trials.
This technical trial aims to incorporate logistical aspects of freight and the deployment of electric, hydrogen, and ZET vehicles in the 5500 km e-highway upgrade currently underway with NHEV. Various sectors looking to transition to zero-emission solutions will be encouraged to embrace this shift by utilizing ZET vehicles for their logistic needs following the TechTrial.
Abhijeet Sinha, the Project Director of NHEV, highlighted the importance of collecting real-time data from this trial to kickstart the deployment of hydrogen and electric trucks on a pilot basis. The goal is to replicate the success seen with electric buses and SUVs under the Ease of Doing Business program.
The upcoming trial will focus on evaluating the cost efficiency of electric vehicles compared to diesel for freight, analyzing the total cost of ownership for fleets of EV buses and ZET trucks, determining the breakeven period for EV buses/trucks based on utilization, and estimating the e-highway upgradation cost for ZET vehicles.
This initiative is a step towards advancing e-mobility and supporting the transition to a greener future. With collaborations with entities like Guidance Tamil Nadu and the Government of Tamil Nadu, substantial investments are being made in green surface transport, ZET vehicles, and renewable charging infrastructure.
NHEV’s pilot program, supported by the Government of India, is expanding rapidly to cover 5,500 km of E-Highways along key routes in the country. With a focus on developing emerging technologies for sustainable transportation, NHEV is paving the way for a cleaner and more efficient future in the realm of electric vehicles and zero-emission freight solutions.
