Delhi Minister Manjinder Sirsa flags off Green SM's electric taxi service

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)