Nancy, the next generation bike. Telegraph picture

Jamshedpur, Aug. 8: Who wouldn’t want her? Nancy is fast, good looking and low maintenance. She is eco-friendly too.

A biker’s dream, this motorcycle runs on dual fuel — hydrogen and LPG — is as fast as 100cc bike and is about to be manufactured in Jamshedpur’s SSI hub, Adityapur Industrial Area .

With an initial investment of Rs 75 crore, Ekta Telecommunication and Systems (ETS) plans to set up its unit over 2 acres in Adityapur. “Our proposal will be sent to the Adityapur Development Authority soon,” said company MD Neeraj Kumar Mishra.

“Nancy will also be equipped with a 25kg LPG cylinder kit. She will be a light, cheap and green vehicle that would be less polluting than her petrol counterparts available in the market,” he claimed.

Mishra explained that at the heart of his hydrogen-fuelled motorbike there would be a compact, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell — it would convert the chemical energy of hydrogen and an oxidant (in this case oxygen) to generate electricity.

Air ducts in the bike’s handlebars would supply oxygen to the fuel cells, while hydrogen stored in a pressurised bottle would serve as the gas tank.

“We have entered into a tie-up with a US-based laboratory for hydrogen fuel cells. But, we aren’t in a position to disclose the name as yet,” Mishra said.

Two-seater Nancy would be capable of reaching speeds of up 120km/hour and would weigh around 50kg. She would be equipped with a “smart security” system which would automatically stop fuel supply in case of theft.

And the price? A neat Rs 30,000 or near about.

Mishra said utmost care would be taken to give Nancy an aesthetic look. “For the first time, we will be using coloured metal sheets to manufacture motorbikes. They would lasting longer and would also give an elegant look.”

Ekta believes the time’s right for an inexpensive, fuel-efficient bike — Nancy would work out to 70 to 80 paise a kilometre. “We aim to provide a low-cost bike to citizens at a time when the price of petrol is increasing by the day,” said Mishra.

Ekta would start small. “We’ll begin on a small scale, planning to manufacture around 20,000 units per year. The proposed manufacturing plant would be a vertical construction for maximum utilisation of the small patch of land we want to acquire. A conveyor system would carry the motorbike from one section to another, which would be in various tiers,” added Mishra.