Delhi Minister Manjinder Sirsa flags off Green SM's electric taxi service
New Delhi, June 6
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, along with Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, flagged off Green SM's electric taxi service from Delhi Secretariat.
The electric taxi service was inaugurated on Friday.
Speaking to ANI, Sirsa emphasised that the taxis are fully manufactured in India, with a plant in Tamil Nadu. "This is a 100% Made in India project," he said.
"The salient features of these cars include - 3 cameras (one each for the driver, the road and the passenger); focus on women's safety and thirdly, the drivers of these cars will be women... This will strengthen the e-infrastructure in Delhi," Minister Sirsa said.
A total of 1,000 electric vehicles and the Green SM app were launched on Friday, with plans to expand the fleet to 10,000 vehicles across the Delhi-NCR region within a year.
The 100% electric fleet aims to boost Delhi's clean mobility ecosystem and support the government's efforts to reduce pollution.
Earlier, on June 5, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched E85 fuel at an Indian Oil Corporation fuel station in New Delhi.
The event was attended by senior officials from public sector oil marketing companies, automobile manufacturers and industry representatives. A Toyota Innova flex fuel vehicle capable of operating on E85 was also showcased during the launch.
Addressing the gathering, Puri said the launch of E85 fuel marks another step in India's efforts to diversify its energy mix and promote cleaner transportation alternatives. He noted that the rollout follows the recent introduction of E85-compatible vehicles by major automobile manufacturers, including Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki.
The minister said that India's environmental record over the past twelve years has been significant and that the introduction of E85 on World Environment Day carries particular importance. He thanked industry leaders, automobile manufacturers and public sector oil companies for creating the ecosystem required for the launch.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"Made in India" and women-led - that's the kind of initiative we need more of! But honestly, what about the charging infrastructure in Delhi? We already have enough taxis that sit idle because there aren't enough charging points. Hope Green SM has planned for that.
Good to see India moving towards electric mobility. I was in Delhi last year and the pollution was really bad. But 10,000 EVs in a year sounds ambitious - let's see if they can scale up quickly without compromising on service quality. The cameras for safety are a great addition.
E85 fuel launch alongside EVs - that's a smart diversification of our energy mix. India shouldn't put all eggs in one basket. We need both electric and flex-fuel options given our huge population and varied driving conditions. Toyota Innova on E85 sounds promising! 👏
Women drivers for women's safety - yes please! Delhi desperately needs safe transport options for women. But I hope the drivers are given proper training and fair wages. Too often these "green" initiatives exploit the workers at the bottom. Let's hold them accountable.
Flagship event with ministers, but where's the mention of subsidies for EV buyers? India needs to make EVs cheaper for the common man, not just launch flashy taxi services. Still, good to see incremental progress. The E85 fuel is a nice parallel initiative for existing vehicles.
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