China’s painstaking development of a low-cost, efficient energy solution for its commuters holds a lesson for India.

New Delhi: Despite the presence of a strong public transport system, the capital has been witnessing a growth in the number of private vehicles. “We have introduced battery operated cars and bikes but unfortunately, people refuse to switch to other modes of transport,” said chief minister Sheila Dikshit. She was speaking at a session on regional efforts for sustainability at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.

BANGALORE: The Volvo hybrid bus, unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this month, would be launched on Bangalore roads soon, Karnataka Transport Minister R Ashoka said on Monday. The 105-seater single bus would have a two-month trial run in the city, expected to be from this month itself, he told reporters here.

As per a preliminary report, it cuts diesel fuel costs by 30 per cent, while emissions are significantly less, Ashoka said. According to officials, the Volvo 7700 hybrid has a diesel engine and an electric motor, which can be used either independently or jointly.

California approved aggressive new rules on Friday to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring automakers to put many more electric and hybrid vehicles on the Golden State's roads by 2025.

The regulations were approved unanimously by nine members of the state's powerful air-quality regulator, the California Air Resources Board, at a meeting in Los Angeles.

They are expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent and smog and soot pollutants by 75 percent by 2025, in part by putting 1.4 million electric, plug-in and hydrogen vehicles on the state's roads.

California regulators are considering approval of far-reaching anti-smog regulations that would require automakers to ensure that 15 per cent of all vehicles sold in the State by 2025 are zero emission vehicles, while remaining cars will be required to show dramatically improved fuel efficiency.

The California Clean Air Board had been scheduled to vote on the proposal on Thursday, but were still listening to a procession of speakers.

The ongoing Auto Expo is not just about glamorous cars and superbikes being unveiled but also about caring for the future with the focus on the environment. With petrol prices shooting up and environment pollution becoming a major concern, hybrid cars and those powered by electric engines have come into the spotlight at the show’s 11th edition.

The country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp today unveiled India’s first concept hybrid scooter, which is being developed in association with a foreign consultant, at the 11th Auto Expo.

“This is a first-ever series hybrid scooter from India. We are showing the rest of the world that we have arrived,” Hero MotoCorp Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pawan Munjal, told reporters.

The concept hybrid scooter — LEAP — is being indigenously developed with the help of an international consultant, he added.

Music blared and white smoke swirled in the cavernous Tata Motors hall at the Delhi Auto Expo as an excited crowd milled near a stage displaying the company's new hybrid car.

Most, though, were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the carmaker's new gas-guzzling Safari off-roader being launched on the other side of the hall. Few seemed to notice the sparkling green-technology vehicle behind them.

The country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp today unveiled India’s first concept hybrid scooter, which is being developed in association with a foreign consultant, at the 11th Auto Expo. “This is a first-ever series hybrid scooter from India. We are showing the rest of the world that we have arrived,” Hero MotoCorp Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Pawan Munjal, told reporters.

The concept hybrid scooter — LEAP — is being indigenously developed with the help of an international consultant, he added.

New Delhi: It’s just less than a year since the split of Hero Honda, but the Munjals are moving firmly to develop a technology expertise to make up for the vacuum created after the exit of the Japanese partner. Hero Motocorp, the Munjals-controlled entity formed after Honda moved out, is set to unveil India's first hybrid two-wheeler, a scooter, at the Delhi Auto Expo, giving a clear signal to stakeholders that the Honda void will gradually be filled.