The World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and aimed at better awareness towards the environment. Especially in the India context, the transport sector contributes about 13 per cent to the GHG emissions across the country. Passenger vehicles have a share of about 2.2% of this. EVs, CNGs are emerging as potential alternatives for cutting down emission but the question is how green are these options. The bottomline is energy security needs to be balanced with energy sustainability. Here is an excerpt of a conversation with Maruti Suzuki CTO, CV Raman on the initiatives being taken by the largest passenger car maker towards a greener tomorrow.
The need for India specific initiatives to address the economics of emission in our country is key. Please elaborate on it and detail out the CNG and hydrogen strategy for next 5 years.
Today from a capacity perspective you have 40% renewable and 60% of coal-based power but actually consumption is only 25% renewable and 75% coal-based power.
If you look at the well to wheel calculation it becomes a very pertinent perspective. If you look at EVs, I don’t want to get into this discussion as an EV versus hybrid, but I’m only just bringing facts to the table – these technologies have to work together in tandem. Government is looking at that when they’re talking about 500 gigawatt of renewable energy by 2030 so they want to invert this change from seventy-five percent coal power to twenty-five and from current twenty-five percent renewable power to the other way where they want forty percent coal and sixty percent renewable. When that happens that’s when the you know the the well to wheel calculation for an EV comes lesser than a hybrid but till such time the hybrid becomes you know better from that perspective and diesel and gasoline also the carbon intensity.
What are the key initiatives that are being taken by Maruti to reduce emission?
Predominantly our energy for transport is built on crude oil which is about 85% imported. We have two imperatives, one to reduce crude oil import and from energy security and sustainability perspective reduce the greenhouse gases. So both are interlinked and our way.
So from that perspective we have to have our India specific initiative. We are introducing technology in line with that. I have the lowest carbondioxide emissions today in in the passenger vehicle industry. We have introduced many changes in the powertrain from B series engine to the C series engine which have improved. We continuously work on that second is that we have introduced many CNG vehicles and that accounts for 20-25% reduction compared to the Co 2 emissions compared to a petrol vehicle so that’s a large component. India is looking at a gas-based economy.
Third part is ethanol. Maruti Suzuki and industry has already made all vehicles compatible to E20 fuel. Fuel has started dispensing in some parts of India and it will become Pan India by 2025. Once that happens, you know we will definitely have a reduction in the CO2. We are also focussing on flex fuel vehicles. Our demonstration vehicle was already showcased at the auto expo
Currently only four states have surplus ethanol, which is UP, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra where there is a possibility of like other you know, states would not would have a challenge. But by 2025, we’ll we’ll go into series production as far as Flex is concerned.
We have also announced already our first EV is on course by end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. We already, made a the indication of Rs 10,000 crore investment not just on the plan, but also on putting up a battery manufacturing plant. So you know, that the overall direction.
In future, we’ll also look at possibility of hydrogen. Energy mix is going to change and we need to have technologies. One to be able to mitigate the risk of the energy.
How are you addressing the emission challenge within the plant?
When you look at GHG emissions, you need to look at the entire life cycle . One is about the product and the second is about the process. The process itself, you know, there is a contributes in the life cycle emission, that contributes about 80%. One needs to address and in the circular economy.
We also are dependent on how to reduce the service related emissions from wet wash to dry wash and deduction of water consumption have zero discharge, we have reduced the water consumption and also undertaken recycling of water and harvest the water in the plant. There are many initiatives that are being taken in the plant side too. As a manufacturer, we have to start being responsible to the environment.
In terms of the ethanol blending, once E 20 becomes like a more standardized fuel, how practical an option is it? What is the advantage in terms of reducing carbon footprint?
With E20, you don’t reduce the carbon dioxide directly from the product side, but you are able to reduce the carbon content from the fuel itself. So from that perspective, the you get a better because the intensity is lower. E 20 will be standardised pan India by 2025 and therefore we are making our engines compatible also and we’ll calibrate the vehicles accordingly.
However, wear and tear as a result of that won’t be much of issue because we will be changing some of the parts which are having more wear and tear so that they will also be durable.
On World Environment Day, Maruti Suzuki’s CTO cutlines the company’s plans in terms of adding CNG and alternate fuel offerings to cut down emission; indicates first EV to be on course by end of 2024.
