A traditional mid-sized car run for 100,000 miles produces approximately 24 million g CO2 over its entire operation. A SUV class vehicle with 100,000 miles produces approximately 43 million g CO2 over its entire operation. Growing concerns around carbon dioxide and other associated emissions including particulates, raise the necessity to adopt to new eco-friendly sustainable alternatives to the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Therefore, it’s essential to continuously develop components to make the internal combustion engine more efficient and work towards building e-mobility solutions for a sustainable future.
Environmental impacts of conventional vehicles can no more be neglected. With global warming and climatic shifts on the rise, we have already started experiencing ecological imbalances such as frequent floods, extreme storms, higher sea-levels, disturbed water system and more. Moreover, toxic pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and lead can undermine human health resulting several diseases including cancer and unwanted genetic mutations. Switching to electric vehicles may be one of the wisest choices we have in terms of transportation.
Why is Electrification a Pressing need for India?
In India, the transport sector alone accounts for 18 % of the total energy consumption. If the current consumption trend continues, it requires approximately 200 million tonnes of oil equivalent of energy by 2030. With the current oil import cost of USD ~111.9 billion, such huge demand may be excessively exorbitant in future. Additionally, India ranks number 3 in total global CO2 emission with 6.8% of the global share. India is home to 14 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world. Considering human impact, India ranks the highest (2.51 million per year) in number of deaths due to pollution. These factors are alarming enough to urge for a shift towards clean mobility solutions.
Even though India is operating in the same global scenario as the other countries, it has a unique mobility pattern not shared by many countries. Indian automotive market is characterized by ~79% of 2 wheelers, 4% of 3 wheelers, 14% of passenger cars and 3% of commercial vehicles. Such prevalence of small vehicles creates an opportunity for India to take leadership role in the electrification of those segments.
Accelerating the shift towards EV technology
India has abundant renewable energy resources that can be effectively tapped in powering Electric Vehicles (EV). Additional enablers supporting green mobility transition include high availability of skilled manpower and development of technology in manufacturing and engineering software sectors. During COVID-19 lockdown impositions, many cities in India witnessed the vanishing of smog, clearer sky, better environment and better air quality. Sustaining this could be possible by switching to clean-green energy EVs.
With well-set Government policies and ongoing disruption in EV market, India is on track toward electrification. However, the shift can be accelerated if we address the impending challenges and leverage possible opportunities.
Following are the key factors that builds a strong case for adopting EV technologies
- EV fuel and maintenance costs are about 10 times cheaper than ICE
- EVs are about 5 times more efficient than ICE
- The cost of technology for Li-ion battery is decreasing year after year
- Charging at home rather than fuel station is a possibility
- EV need to be charged from renewable energy sources. Power from solar is already cheaper than thermal power. Additional disruption is happening in the field of power generation and distribution, where centralized generation system is being transformed into localized system powered by renewable energy sources. Convergence of all these technologies can be a potential enabler for EV disruption
Hybrids and EVs are expected to be approximately 40% of total vehicles by 2030. This goal can be achieved with energy-efficient powertrain solutions for different categories such as 2 wheelers, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, hybrids, BEVs, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles. It is also important to establish expertise in system engineering solutions like rolling chassis or e-platform for all integration levels. With huge investments in EV research and development, the incumbent OEMs, start-ups and disruptors can be handsomely supported for creating a global impact.
Author:
Pradeep Kumar Keloth – Head of Engineering,
Prasanth Pathiyil – Technical Expert -Electrification
