A milestone in a century-long journey

By K.Satyamurty

BANGALORE, SEPT. 16. When India's first commercially-produced electric car, the Reva, manufactured by a Bangalore-based company, was launched some months ago, it was a milestone on a journey, which began more than a century ago.

For many years, the electric motor has been trying to wean attention away from the internal combustion engine. Though the first electric vehicle (EV) was built in 1834, its manufacture was curtailed by the arrival of the internal combustion engine. Petrol-driven cars were faster and cheaper, and later were available in a wider range.

Ready availability of petroleum products (which lasted till the early 1970s) also affected the growth of EVs. The oil crisis rekindled interest in EVs, but the industry did not grow. Research revealed that EV technology would be prohibitively expensive to become operational immediately.

Since the 1990s, EV technology has been gaining ground and popularity, rapidly. Awareness of environmental issues such as ozone depletion, the Greenhouse Effect, and the harmful effects of carbon dioxide emission, are the main reasons for its acceptance now. Advances in R&D in the area of fuel cells has made the long-term future of electric cars increasingly bright.

With the depletion of the oil reserves, increasing atmospheric pollution, governments and communities are waking up to the benefits of using EV technology such as introducing "zero- emission" vehicles that are noiseless, can be charged at home or at work (saving drivers the need to queue up at petrol bunks). Such vehicles can draw electric power even at night time when consumption is low, making more efficient use of power plants. EVs have been found to be easier to service and maintain, and are ideal for ``stop-and-go'' city driving conditions. The absence of gears and clutch make them extremely easy to drive on congested roads.

EVs have become the best solution to reduce vehicular pollution in cities. All other forms of energy and pollution-control devices such as catalytic converters, CNG and LPG only reduce air pollution, and do not affect noise pollution at all. EVs are also twice as efficient as vehicles with internal combustion engines, which translates to less use of energy and pollution at source.

In the developed world, the cost of producing EVs is currently high. Major car manufacturers are sustaining low volumes on EV sales. On the other hand, various studies reveal that India, a developing nation, stands first in the introduction of EVs , followed by Brazil and China. The advantages of these countries come from a combination of urban congestion, high-pollution levels and large city-based car markets.

`Advantage Bangalore': (B CAPS) Bangalore can be a case study with its steadily increasing human and automobile numbers in a country of one billion people. The City has requested an alarming increase in air and noise pollution, and traffic congestion. The need for low-cost and effective urban transportation is increasing. Market research reveals that regular commuters in the City travel distances of 30 to 40 km a day. Because of the traffic congestion, narrow roads and inadequate infrastructure, the average driving speed in the City is often below 30 km. per hour.

Bangalore and other manufacturing centres in India have advantages, which include a low level of new investment in internal combustion engine capacity, availability of strong R&D facilities and manufacturing infrastructure in electrical, electronics and auto components sectors, strength in IT and electronics facilities, and the potential of a large local market.

In some countries, EVs are exempt from motor vehicle tax while in others, insurance rates for EVs are much lower. Some give cash subsidies while others give ``tax credit'' on purchase of EVs. Supply of electricity for charging EVs is at reduced rates and sometime even free. EVs are being encouraged by some governments to be used as taxis and rental cars. Specially set up free EV parking facilities are provided by some governments and some have declared parts of cities as ``pollution-free zones''; only EVs or bicycles can ply in such areas. There could be a lesson here for Bangalore and other Indian cities to follow.

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