Ashok Leyland, the flagship of the Hinduja group and India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) researchers at the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) are collaborating to develop and commercialize ‘Swirl Mesh Lean Direct Injection (LDI) system’ technology for developing a series of hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) using this turbine technology.
According to a media release, IIT Madras Researchers at NCCRD are developing an indigenously-designed Micro Gas Turbine. The core of the Micro Turbine is a patented combustion technology called ‘Swirl Mesh Lean Direct Injection (LDI) system.’
The main powertrain will be the electric motors but the onboard power would be generated by the Micro Gas Turbine, developed jointly by NCCRD and Aerostrovilos Energy, an IITM-incubated start-up. This Micro Gas Turbine will replace the large battery.
After the technology was demonstrated on a lab scale, Ashok Leyland signed a letter of support to develop this technology for the heavy vehicles segment with NCCRD, IIT Madras. As part of the collaboration, Ashok Leyland handed over to NCCRD a 9-meter passenger electric bus on Monday, October 10, 2022.
