Indian Army eyes green power, looks to induct electric vehicles into fleet

The Indian Army is looking at inducting battery-powered vehicles of various kinds into its fleet wherever its operational commitments can allow it to do so. With the aim of reducing its carbon footprint, the Indian Army is reportedly planning to have electric light vehicles, buses and motorcycles at various locations across the country in the times to come.

According to a report in Hindustan Times which is attributed to officials in the know, the Indian Army wants to replace around 25 per cent of its light vehicles, 38 per cent of its buses and 48 per cent of its motorcycles with battery-powered options. On obvious lines, these would be deployed only at locations where there is a robust charging infrastructure is already in place. This means that such vehicles may initially only be present with peace-time units. "Various factors unique to the army’s employability, remote locations of employment and operational commitments were considered to arrive at a definite time-bound road map for inducting electric vehicles," an official in the know was quoted as saying.

The same report further highlights that a tender for as many as 60 electric buses with 24 fast chargers for the Indian Army is likely to be floated soon. Major cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Pune and Kolkata are expected to be where such electric vehicles would be pressed into duty in the initial phase. "Considering the pace of green initiatives being adopted by the government and efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, it is necessary to adapt to the changing environment," another official was quoted as saying.

Electric vehicles are becoming a common sight the world over and here in India, the shift towards battery-powered mobility options is largely being led by two, three and four-wheeled options. But while private customers and fleet operators are gradually moving towards electric technology, the deployment of such vehicles in armed forces of countries is mostly limited. In recent times, defense forces of countries like the United States and Australia - among others - have expressed interest in electric vehicles but extensive testing for viability remains to be conducted. While deployment for peaceful purposes may well be fairly easy, it is the ability of such vehicles to carry out covert and overt operations across various terrains and under various climatic conditions is what needs to be strengthened further.