Context: Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, released a report on India’s Priority Corridors for Zero-Emission Trucking.
About Zero-Emission Trucking:
- What is Zero-Emission Trucking (ZET)?
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- Zero-Emission Trucking (ZET) refers to freight transportation using battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell trucks that emit no tailpipe emissions, unlike traditional diesel vehicles.
- Key Features:
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- Powered by clean energy (electricity or hydrogen).
- Equipped with high-capacity batteries or fuel cells.
- Integrated with charging/refueling infrastructure and smart mobility systems.
- Enables lower maintenance costs and longer operational lifespans.
- Significance:
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- Environmental: Trucks account for ~40% of fuel consumption and transport emissions—ZETs drastically reduce this footprint.
- Health & Air Quality: Reduces PM2.5 and NOx pollution in urban-industrial corridors.
- Energy Security: Lowers dependence on diesel imports by transitioning to domestically sourced electricity/hydrogen.
- Economic Efficiency: Optimizes logistics, boosts industrial productivity, and enables future-ready infrastructure.
- Alignment with Schemes: Supports PM E-DRIVE (₹500 crore) and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives
Relevance in UPSC Exam
- GS Paper 3 – Environment & Infrastructure
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- Sustainable transportation, clean energy technologies, electric mobility.
- GS Paper 3 – Economic Development
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- Logistics modernization, reduction of fuel imports, promoting Make in India.
- GS Paper 2 – Governance & Policy Implementation
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- Role of public-private partnerships, planning, and regulatory frameworks.
- Essay / Ethics / Case Studies
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- Case study on green logistics for climate ethics, inclusive growth, and energy justice.
