Bangalore: Mahindra Eco Mobiles Limited is planning to export its zero emission electric three-wheeler transit van "Bijlee" to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia in the year 2003, a top MEML executive indicated on August 19.

Chairman of MEML, a Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Limited subsidiary, Soami Saran, told reporters that he expected to ship Bijlee to those countries after 10 to 12 months, when the company would have "consolidated" itself in the domestic market.

For Bijlee, which has a 10-seater configuration with the company focusing on renewable energy sector and alternative technologies, has also received enquiries from Germany and Nigeria as well, he added.

Saran said 48 units of Bijlee had been sold in India since its launch three months ago. It has a manufacturing plant in Coimbatore with a capacity to produce around 250 units per month.

MEML is currently selling Bijlee in Delhi, Agra and Pondicherry and by the end of the current financial year it would cover Dehradun and Hyderabad, among others, he added.

Saran said MEML expects to sell 500 units of Bijlee in the country during 2002- 03. "We are looking at an annual figure of 3,000 to 4,000 units in three years," at the launching of Bijlee by MEML in Bangalore on August 19.

"M & M has strength in product development, transporation solutions and in marketing. It will leverage on these strengths to develop, manufacture and sell eco- friendly vehicles", Saran said.

According to him, the concept of electric vehicles is slowly beginning to pick up in India and it's bound to gather momentum in the coming years. Bijlee is mainly targeted at taxi operators but the company also expects institutions to buy them.

Other projects on MEML's drawing board include electric four wheelers (especially mini buses) for on-road applications, electric golf carts, electric vehicle solutions and turnkey projects (targeting airports, down towns and universities), hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles.

PTI