September 2, 2022. Blue Energy Motors inaugurated India’s first liquified natural gas (LNG) fueled green truck manufacturing plant at Chakan, Pune. The facility was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
Blue Energy Motors, which aims to disrupt the trucking industry in India by manufacturing clean energy, near-zero emissions trucks, will roll out LNG-fueled, long-haul, heavy-duty trucks. The company has signed an agreement with FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of Iveco Group, Italy to introduce the first LNG trucks powered by FPT Industrial engines which are BS VI compliant. The market entry of the LNG-fueled trucks will start with introduction of 5528 4×2 tractor as the first model.
According to Blue Energy Motors, its “trucks have been designed and tested in accordance with demanding Indian transport industry’s duty cycles. Powered by FPT Industrial engines generating high torque, these trucks not only deliver best-in-class TCO, but also offer unmatched ride comfort and safety for the drivers for long hauls.”
The FPT Industrial engine is one of the most powerful natural gas engines and compatible with CNG, LNG and biomethane. It uses multipoint stoichiometric combustion to assure best-in-class fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel engines.
Nitin Gadkari said, “It’s a pleasure and pride to launch the first LNG truck in the country. This is the fuel for the future. It is cost effective and a changemaker for the transport sector. It is a great alternative to petrol and diesel at a time when we import so much. With LNG, there will be savings and we will reduce our logistics cost by 16%, and further bring it down to 10%, which is our target. We are making LNG and CNG from biomass in Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana. Biofuel is the future and we have a huge potential for export. It’s essential for the economy. The prospects for the industry are great and I am excited about the future, as we move towards reducing pollution.”
