Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Low-emission vehicles and alternative fuels
Private car ownership and use will grow in future years in Delhi, and it will be critical to
ensure CO2 emissions from vehicular usage are as low as possible. Low-emission vehicles
achieve reduced fuel consumption and emissions through innovative engine design, including
hybrid petrol vehicles, diesel and electric engines. In the Delhi context, this technology is still
novel and expensive, but globally, hybrid cars are available. Scenario 4 assumes much of the
vehicle fleet is based on the current best international hybrid technology, or diesel technology,
with a total car/van fleet average of less than 100 gCO2/km. This is a very strong level of
technology penetration based on current patterns of take up in India, even though the current
vehicle is typically small, and this also helps in limiting emissions. There is, however, a current
focus in vehicle development on inexpensive, 'older' technology small car options. There are
plans for hybrids to be made available in India, including the Honda hybrid Civic Sedan,
Mahindra Industries' hybrid SUV, and TVS and Bajaj Auto are developing a hybrid three-
wheeler. Import taxes mean that non-Indian produced vehicles are prohibitively expensive.
There is a 100 per cent import duty for vehicles, with some discount for hybrids. Improved
fuel economy standards are required; the motor vehicles sold in India (four wheels or more)
are not particularly fuel efficient by international standards. Currently there are no voluntary
or mandatory standards in India, manufacturers are only required to publish fuel economy
figures, and there are no agreed test cycles (Hickman et al., 2008).
In addition, there are a number of possible alternative fuels on the market, many of which
have lower carbon content than petrol and diesel, and including biofuels. Ethanol and biodiesel
are perhaps most suited to use in India. Scenario 4 assumes a rising blend of biofuels in petrol
and diesel, reaching around 30 per cent by 2030, and the use of a significant proportion of
Figure 5.29 Two- and three-wheelers. Many of the two and three-wheeler vehicles now run on CNG.
Source : Pongnarin Petchu.
 
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