Govt Plans To Build Electric Highway Between Delhi And Mumbai

The government will construct an electric highway between Delhi and Mumbai, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said while addressing an event organised by the Hydraulic Trailer Owners Association (HTOA).

Germany had launched its first electric highway on a six-mile-long stretch of Autobahn near Frankfurt three years ago. It allows hybrid cargo trucks to recharge their batteries while travelling. The proposed project between Delhi and Mumbai will enable motor vehicles to get charged while on the move. Generally, an overhead network of electricity lines is laid, which helps in powering the on-road vehicles.

“Our plan is to make an electric highway between Delhi and Mumbai. Just like a trolleybus, you can run trolley trucks also”, Gadkari said. The government is said to be in talks with a foreign firm for its construction.

The minister also requested heavy vehicle owners to use alternative fuels like ethanol, methanol, and green hydrogen citing their cost-effectiveness. He also admitted that heavy vehicle owners face hardships due to corruption in state Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). And thus, we are planning to digitise all services provided by RTOs, he added. In the last few years, Gadkari has time and again mentioned the construction of electric highways as a “dream project”.

At present, Berlin has the longest electric highway in the world. The highway is spread over a stretch of 109 km. India can soon become the home to the world’s largest electric highway if the government’s plan materialises. The central government has been pushing to adopt green mobility as it aims to achieve its net-zero carbon emission targets.

As part of the government’s push towards green energy, India is likely to get the world's longest electric vehicle (EV) highway which is 500 km long. There have been first trial runs on Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway in December 2020 while the second trial run will of project, Atal Harit Vidyut Rashtriya Mahamarg’s (AHVRM) will start from September 9 on the Delhi-Jaipur highway.

What Is Electric Highway

An electric highway is an electrically-augmented road. It generally refers to a road which supplies power to vehicles travelling on it, either by using overhead power lines or by using power lines that have been set into pre-cut grooves, on the road itself.

How Does Electric Highway Works

A series of electric cables and electromagnetic transmitters buried underneath the surface of the road generate electromagnetic fields. This energy is picked up by a coil inside the vehicle, inducing voltage which can then be used to charge the battery.

The power transfer could potentially work for any vehicle fitted with the right equipment. With the cables all buried underneath the road, there’s also no risk of collisions or electric shocks.

There are numerous other pioneering schemes around the world to create efficient highways. Los Angeles is currently working on a prototype zero-emission highway that uses overhead cables, much like a tram or city train.

Sweden in 2018 opened the world’s first electrified road that recharges the batteries of cars and trucks driving on it. In 2019, Germany introduced the first electric highway on its motorway system to recharge hybrid trucks on the go. It was built by Siemens and was six miles long, just south of Frankfurt.

Hydralics Trailer Owners Association

The Hydralics Trailer Owners Association is a non profit making body and works for benefit of the members and in the interest of public with total commitment to work in the professional and most efficient manner.