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Mumbai Remembers First Maratha Naval Admiral Kanhoji Angre, Dedicates Luxury Cruise To His Name

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Sea Eagles Cruise will be operating a luxury cruise to Goa from Mumbai from 11 October, The Hindustan Times has reported. The ship, ‘Angriya’, has been named after the Maratha Navy’s first Admiral Kanhoji Angre and Angria coral bank reef near Vijaydurg. It has a capacity of 400 passengers and will operate every alternate day from both locations.

“Cruise tourism is a booming industry, with many international cruises coming to Mumbai. It is only expected to grow further, so we are upgrading our infrastructure and encouraging private players in India to start cruises, as it is also an employment generator,” a senior MbPT official told Hindustan Times.

The service is part of the government’s plan to boost cruise tourism in India. Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and an Italian cruise line coaster named Costa Cruises have started services from Mumbai to Kochi and Kochi to the Maldives.

Bengaluru: Next Six-Coach Metro Train To Hit Tracks Soon

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) tasted success with their first six-coach train in June. The train is getting a hugely positive response from the people. Keeping this in mind, BMRCL is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that operations of the second six-coach train start within this month. The second train will likely hit the tracks by the end of September or in the first week of October, reported The New Indian Express.

BEML, which manufactured the trains, has delivered a three-coach set to be integrated with an existing train, in the first week of September.

The number of metro riders are seeing an uptick in the city with new records of ridership numbers being created and broken over the past month. A new record was created on 11 September when 4.36 lakh commuters travelled by Namma Metro.

BMRCL, in anticipation of the rising ridership, decided to upgrade all its trains to the six- coach configuration to accommodate more passengers, and consequentially, the first six-coach train was launched in June. Other trains, too, are going through the process of upgrade.

Commuters, too, welcomed the introduction of the six-coach trains as they were complaining about existing jam packed coaches.

“Our target is to complete the integration by September. However, an exact date cannot be discussed at the moment since integration is still on. We will have some internal checks to complete before the train hits the tracks for commercial operations,” Ajay Seth, Managing Director of BMRCL, told TNIE.

“We are very close to completing the procedures,” Seth told TNIE. He confirmed to the paper that coaches had been delivered and are being integrated.

All 50 existing trains will be converted into six-coach ones by BEML, which is confident of finishing the task by June next year.

How A Dependable Charging Infrastructure Will Set The Pace For India’s EV Journey

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Snapshot
  • User-friendly, safe and convenient charging infrastructure will decide the pace of our EV journey.This will involve removing many roadblocks – as also mind blocks.

A question repeatedly posed to high-profile attendees of the Global Mobility Summit in Delhi as they alighted from their cars to enter the venue was, if they used electric cars to come to the venue? Good question, given that electric vehicles (EVs) are dominating the current mobility discourse, with the summit also being seen as potentially a big launch-pad for the EV ecosystem in India.

It was a good occasion for the policymakers to demonstrate their faith in EVs – for NITI Aayog, in particular, the main organiser of the event. But to answer the question – no they hadn’t. However, neither this nor the fact that the summit wound up without laying out a road for EVs, must be seen as indications of any slackening on the EV front.

If it makes one feel better, there are such examples elsewhere as well. The electric car-backing Welsh government, too, for instance, uses diesel vehicles, as this BBC article says: “Not a single electric or hybrid car has been owned or leased by the Welsh government in the last five years, despite policies promoting their use.”

Again, in June this year, senior government officials in Delhi had refused to use electric cars because of their low mileage. Livemint reported the reason as failure of two models by Tata Motors and M&M to run even 82 kilometres on a single charge. Then, Bloomberg reported that inadequate charging infrastructure and “slowness of states in taking deliveries” had led EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Limited) to postpone the second tender of 9,500 cars by one year.. EESL is the nodal agency that coordinates procurement of e-vehicles between auto companies and government departments and states.

Zeroing-In On Zero-Emission Vehicles

Sluggishness in embracing this change is probably a given, and one that NITI Aayog is aware of. And yet, the change must come, for road transport is one of the biggest causes of air pollution in our cities, the effects of which are felt immediately by citizens, because of proximity to vehicles, and also because fossil-fuel-driven vehicles impact climate change, apart from increasing our import bills.

NITI Aayog is, therefore, on a drive to urge and push states to adopt EV policies – suggesting ways, setting carbon-footprint targets, and instructions on how to go about it.

States have been enthusiastic and many have experimented, too, through subsidised vehicles under the central government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles). But now, taking that further, adopting and sticking with it, is what matters.

Even though FAME-I was a success, it finally ended up subsidising mostly a category of vehicles called ‘mild hybrids’, which experts say are actually diesel vehicles in disguise – mostly passenger cars and scooters. Though they were removed from the programme in April 2017, they had by then taken up 60 per cent of the funds reserved.

FAME II, to be announced soon, is reportedly going to focus on public transport. All consultancy organisations like EY, KPMG etc, emphasise that bus fleets and commercial vehicles like cab aggregators, and two-wheelers and three-wheelers, are the areas where electric energy is best deployed in the Indian scenario. In this article, we focus on buses – because they are “public transport” and because they are part of the category which is the largest contributor to emissions.

Meanwhile, the experience with states in deploying e-vehicles till now shows a particular trend: good receptivity, positive statements of intention extolling advantages of zero emissions, carbon footprint, et al. But, it is mostly a sputtering start which often converts into a wait-and-watch mode. Several states are also yet to overcome the initial inertia, apparently needing greater force of push by the Centre.

Positive News Pouring In

NITI Aayog’s increased gusto, post the summit is beginning to show results though, and the states appear to be getting bulldozed.

Last week, Jharkhand inducted a fleet of 20 e-cars for official use, having already set up 12 charging stations. Uttarakhand has already received 20 electric cars, for which rent will be paid to EESL. Gurugram has said it would add 400 e-buses by mid-2019; Gurugram will also procure 25 cars for its officials. Transport Minister of Tamil Nadu, after visiting London to understand the operation of electric buses, has announced that 80 buses will be run in Chennai and 20 in Coimbatore. Similar plans were made earlier this year by the governments of Goa, West Bengal, Assam, and Kerala. Many of them had done trial runs with one or more buses, and were optimistic to begin with.

Some Comi-Tragic E-tales

However, often the calibration and rolling out is not visualised when announcements and plans are made. This happened with Karnataka – the first state to launch an EV policy – whose initial plans included procuring 40 buses, 100 four-wheelers and 500 three-wheelers under FAME. This year, the state budget 2018-19 announced that out of the 4,236 new buses to be procured, 80 would be electric,and 100 charging stations would be built. The Union government was giving a subsidy of Rs 1 crore per bus, out of the total cost of Rs 2.5 crore.

In July, however, BMTC decided that it was not comfortable with the clause of being joint owner of the buses (which is a requisite), and said it wanted none of the responsibilities of being an owner – that the private operator only must bear the liabilities and risks. Last week, Bangalore Mirror reported that the state’s transport minister intended scrapping the tender as he wanted BMTC to purchase the buses and not take them on lease – much to the exasperation of BMTC, whose officials said nine months’ efforts had all gone waste. Currently, the corporation has two buses, and the journey forward is quite unclear.

A similar volte face was done by Telangana. In January this year, it announced that an EV policy – which included manufacturing incentives – would be out soon. In June, an event to announce the same was cancelled last minute.

Reportedly, the Chief Minister had decided to research more on the subject before taking a call. The state government had originally announced procuring 40 buses for deployment in SRTC. Hyderabad is one of the six lighthouse cities chosen by NITI Aayog for its EV roll out – as of this month there are five buses on its roads. Telangana, in fact, had its draft policy ready in 2017, with impressive figures of investments and employment. But many didn’t take it seriously, as a veteran in battery manufacturing said: “What can we expect from a state policy? The draft policy was a joke.”

Kolkata was to get 80 e-buses “before Durga Puja, as a gift to the city dwellers,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced earlier this year. As of September, less than a month away from Durga Puja, it has one bus running since May.

In the case of Andhra Pradesh, it appears to be EESL that is playing safe. The state government, true to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s style, was raring to go and had ordered 100 vehicles; however, only 30 have been assured by EESL for now. Perhaps, the realistic stance of the EESL is to do with the state’s slow progress on charging infrastructure. As against the plan of 50 charging stations, and a letter of award to the infrastructure company for 19 to be delivered within six weeks, only the first was commissioned recently.

Delhi had an interesting twist in the EV tale, when in July this year, the Supreme Court found its plan to procure 1,000 electric buses “deficient” in planning. The bench advised the Delhi government “not to be in a hurry, and have a solid plan”, complete with details of funds, land for depots, charging stations, etc. And, consider the possibility of using Hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses which are said to be cost-effective as compared to EVs.

In fact, the apex court’s observation clinches it: most states’ plans currently fall in this category – deficient in planning.

Charging Infrastructure Needs Ignition

What’s the reason for the slow uptake? Charging infrastructures should be ready before EV penetration can go up; yet, infrastructure requires massive costs as investments, and economies of scale are reached only through adequate demand – which again depends on the number of vehicles on the road. This has been termed as a classic chicken-and-egg situation, and FAME II is expected to focus on this need.

Charging Infrastructure – Costs

Charging infrastructure includes charging stations at homes and workplaces, and in public places like petrol pumps, parking lots and malls. The total investment includes cost of equipment and installation and cost of operation and maintenance. A workshop at IIT Kanpur in May this year had a detailed paper from the director of Centre of Advanced Research in Electrified Transportation, AMU, on ‘Business of Charging Infrastructure for EVs’. Among the many technical and financial details, these were the costs it assumed. For semi-private/semi-public places, where low or medium power level chargers are required, the cost is between Rs 36,431 and Rs 87,435; and for public places where high power level chargers are required, installation cost is higher at Rs 1,74,871-Rs 2,62,306. To that, a 10-per cent operation and maintenance cost is to be added.

Given the huge requirement of charging stations – estimates have it that Delhi alone will require around 800-1,000; China has over 2 lakh, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report – the funds requirement is colossal. The central government has been funding projects in cities, with a large kitty set aside for this, apart from easing procedures and requirements, but will that be enough?

Charging Infrastructure – Technical Considerations

  • Besides costs and subsidies, there are other technical and practical considerations in charging infrastructure. The above study under the IIT Kanpur aegis, had concluded that power distribution network needs to be planned properly, which means:
  • Layout of charging stations will need to be such that electricity demand is in accordance with the network;
  • Within the distribution network, improved quality connections with high ratings are required – to facilitate interconnection of charging infrastructure
  • Larger-capacity distribution transformer and larger-cross-section distribution lines are needed to avoid problems like overloading, voltage deviation, etc.

Yet. After all this, it may still result in lower utilisation efficiency of distribution network equipment – because charging behaviour cannot be confined to low-load periods. Apparently, power quality of the network is affected because devices in the charging infrastructure do something called “inducing harmonics in the source side content”. Technical jargon, but surely has a point!

Finally, though not pessimistic on EVs in toto, this study did say that simply shifting to EVs will not address the impact on environment.

Charging Infrastructure – Practical Considerations

Thus far, due to policy and money constraints, charging stations and other infrastructure are not widely deployed. EV charging requires a long process. Most charging points in the country are AC-based, which can take up to six hours to charge; DC chargers are efficient, but also expensive.

This `wait anxiety’ is an important factor for consumers – a lack of adequate infrastructure means long queues at each station, apart from the fact that battery charging is time-consuming in itself. It also means traffic congestion as people queue up to charge. Battery swapping is the solution here, that is to get a fully-charged battery, which can be done in few minutes at stations, and move on. However, for this solution to become workable, the IIT Kanpur study points out – first, batteries need to conform to certain standards, and they need to be of “high-mileage variety, have high energy density, high recycling ratio, high recovery ratio, and be environment-friendly”.

The government’s plan includes setting up 30,000 slow-charging and 15,000 fast-charging stations across the country – every 3 km in the city, and every 50 km on highways.

Charging Infrastructure – Many Other Considerations

Much ground needs to be covered as far as electricity generation goes: over 60 per cent of India’s energy mix still comes from fossil fuels, and only 17 per cent from renewables. In that sense, electrical charging is still not guilt-free in terms of being low-carbon. BHEL is in the process of developing and providing solar-based charging infrastructure, but though it’s light on the horizon, it’s still a work-in-progress.

Himachal Pradesh, one of the first states to include EVs in its bus fleet, had a good experience generally and decided to place an order for 25 e-buses. But again, as the chief general manager of its SRTC pointed out that there was a high dependence on third party for charging infrastructure, which compounded costs.

What complicates the issue is that land for charging stations needs clearances from local authorities, electricity distribution companies and the central ISI quality standards approval. Only then will it be given on lease to willing infra provider companies, which is a long-winded, if not tall, order.

Finally, the safety aspect. At one of the sessions in a CII Conference for EV manufacturers, Goenka Electric Motor CEO Zafar Equbal had put forth his reservations thus: “A person can bear a shock up to 60 volts of electricity; but in a high-voltage system like a charging station, the slightest negligence can bring about death. Even stray animals making any accidental contact can create havoc. There are many practical challenges.”

User-friendly, safe and convenient charging infrastructure – and, which is also perceived as such – will decide the pace of our EV journey. This will involve removing many roadblocks – as also mind blocks.

Subsidies All The Way

It’s unlikely that EVs will be adopted without insistence, handholding and funding from the Centre. It’s not quite clear what CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant meant when he said that “I’m against a policy where you drive electric vehicles through large subsidies; That’s not sustainable.”

The fact is, world over, EVs are run only on subsidies.

This article attributes the success of Norway, the world leader in EVs to a long list of incentives for the buyers. The irony is despite that, users say they prefer to have two cars – one EV to drive to work and one fossil-fuel car for other trips. Also, this is despite Norway’s advantages of being a wealthier country with a smaller population, less congested roads, easier parking and plentiful hydroelectric power – all of which India does not have.

So also in China which has the twin advantages of being the world’s largest maker of electric cars as well as lithium-ion batteries. Yet, its rapid growth has been made possible only by its subsidies to manufacturers as well as consumers.. And after all this, the environmental benefits still remain questionable in China, with almost three-fourths of its power coming from coal.

Indian policymakers are depending on falling costs of battery, increases in renewables in electricity, new developments in the Indian R&D scene, and the costs of EV being at par with ICE engines in a few years. These are all of course, assumptions. The environmental impact of the substitute technology also must be quantified, along with an employment road map for the automobiles and components sector.

Shifting lanes, towards EVs is in currency, but perhaps, in our context, moderation is key. While we must not get left behind and definitely give it a shot, it must be accompanied by a large dose of prudence.

A Fast-Changing World

Several other technologies are coming up. Like the Supreme Court suggested to the Delhi government, Hydrogen fuel is one of them, with Germany and Japan having adopting it in varying measures. CEPT Ahmedabad had come out with a paper on solar-powered buses earlier; passenger drones have become a reality. Closer home, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had recently talked of using bio-fuel. Biofuel-driven buses have been successful experiments, as a former secretary, ministry of road transport and highways points out, and can take care of several of India’s issues like dealing with all kinds of waste, reducing dependence on imports, providing extra income for farmers, apart from being emission-friendly.

That said, all these are in the nascent stage, and will need massive updates in infrastructure when adopted – EVs included. We need to see what kind of fuel mix suits our circumstances best. Taking it slow is important because the government’s funds have opportunity costs.

Ideally, EVs should be allowed to be taken up naturally, and dictated by market forces. Meanwhile, ways for reduction of dependence on imported oil, and to fight pollution levels must continue to be pondered over. In our last commentary on mobility, we had recommended strongly, making non-motorised transport and the ecosystem thereof, robust.

E=Three-Wheelers Must Be Helped To Increase Their Tribe

As EV plans at all levels proceed in bits and pieces, fits and starts, one area that needs to be a thrust area is three-wheelers. They have proven to be efficacious in providing last-mile connectivity to commuters in the Metro (DMRC) in the Delhi-NCR region.

They are a crucial link in boosting public transport, which can go a long way in reducing private transport use. This alone makes them deserving of subsidy, along with their employment-generation potential. Further, experience has also shown them as being lower-cost, practical, easy to charge, and easy to navigate. This is where states must pull out all stops to make their journey comfortable.

The private sector must come forward in supporting infrastructure. Essel Infra projects, for instance, has decided to invest Rs 1,750 crore in UP, for 250 charging stations for e-rickshaws, as well as 1,000 battery swapping locations. Given that many towns and cities in UP are driven mostly around on two- and three-wheelers, such solutions are welcome and serve the purpose well enough. CSR initiatives must support the creation of the ecosystem around this category of EVs, specifically.

Also read:

Swappable Batteries: A Game-Changing Alternative Or A Viable Auxiliary In EV Infrastructure?

‘Charge’ Is The Key To Change In Electric Vehicle Revolution

Revving Up The EV Revolution: How Policy-Making And Technical Challenges Can Be Overcome

Swati Kamal is a columnist for Swarajya.

Big Relief For Noida: Metro’s Aqua Line To Be Functional By November

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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The Noida Authority hopes to inaugurate the 29.7-km-long metro line that runs between Noida and Greater Noida. Additionally, an underpass is going through construction and is expected to be functional by the end of November 2018. Apart from the two projects mentioned above, an international airport at Jewar alongside the Yamuna Expressway, a 2.5-km-long elevated corridor above the Dadri road and a 5.5- km one above Shahdara drain are also to be inaugurated by the same time.

Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority was quoted as saying, “We are trying to finish all remaining work at the NTPC underpass before November. And the 29.707-km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link will also be ready for the public. Two elevated road projects will be the other mega projects on which we will start work this year.”

Hindustan Times quoted Dr Mahesh Sharma, Member of Parliament for Gautam Budh Nagar, saying, “We are hoping that the Prime Minister inaugurates the elevated roads and the Jewar airport, and opens the Noida-Greater Noida Metro link together at one event. We are working out the schedule to fix the date. Metro work is almost ready and formalities for Jewar airport are also almost finished.”

The aqua line is undergoing inspections to obtain safety clearances. The National Power Thermal Corporation (NPTC) underpass has already seen a delay of two years and is being built at a cost of Rs 55 crore.

Wealth Out Of Waste: New Sewage Treatment Plant In Delhi To Generate Three Tonnes Of Biofuel Everyday

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday (18 September), inaugurated a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Delhi that has a capacity to convert ten lakh litres of sewage into three tonnes bio fuel per day, Economic Times has reported.

The sewage treatment plant is is being setup to combat the pollutants from Barapullah drain in the national capital. The STP has been launched under the local treatment of urban sewage streams for healthy reuse (LOTUSHR) project which is a joint achievement of the Indian and Dutch scientists. According to Economic Times, the STP produces clean water which can be used later.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “This plant, which can convert 10 lakh litre of sewage into clean water and generate 3 tonne of bio-fuel per day, will be scaled up and become an example for the whole world.”

He also inaugurated two bio-toilets which have been jointly setup by the Department of Biotechnology, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council.

Delhi faces a huge water and air pollution problem and the Central government is has initiated several measures to tackle the issues, especially air pollution.

Decongesting Bengaluru Airport: BIAL Draws Plans To Ease Traffic Congestion On Airport Premises

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Bengaluru International Airport is growing at a rapid pace and with its growth, passenger traffic is also growing, increasing the pressure on the infrastructure, in and around the airport. Keeping this in mind, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL), the entity operating Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), is making plans to ease traffic congestion in the premises of the airport, reported the Times of India.

BIAL is planning an upgradation of 5.5 km four lane road from the passenger terminal to trumpet exchange and will convert it into a 10 lane road. BIAL is also mulling to build a flyover connecting trumpet junction to the proposed Terminal 2 along with dedicated lanes for trucks to reach the cargo terminal of the airport.

Adequate space will also be allocated to the pillars and stations of the phase two of the Namma Metro connecting KIA from Nagawara. Two of the stations of the Metro are planned on the airport campus- one at the terminal and other at KIA road.

“We are implementing a phased airport development programme to achieve an airport capacity to handle 55 million passengers annually by 2030 and 1 million tonnes of cargo,” a BIAL official told ToI while maintaining that nothing is set in stone and everything is in initial stages.

Passengers should remain prepared for facing some inconvenience during the road upgradation process and elevated corridor works.

TThe KIA is handling 26.9 million passengers in 2018 compared to 10 million passengers in 2008. This number will increase more than two-fold once the Terminal 2 becomes operational.

Indore Metro Rail Project: Dilip Buildcon Emerges As The Favoured Bidder To Construct Elevated Track

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Dilip Buildcon has claimed that its bid to build a 5.3 km stretch of upcoming metro rail system in Indore has emerged as the lowest and most favoured, reported Metro Rail News.

Last month the company was declared as the lowest bidder for the Bhopal Metro project, another Metro project going on in Madhya Pradesh.

The current bid was in response to a tender floated by the Metro Rail Authority to construct an elevated viaduct between the ISBT flyover and Mumtaj Bag colony, excluding the stations.

The amount offered by the company for the bid of the track was Rs 229 crore.

Despite Dilip Buildcon being the lowest bidder it cannot be ascertained whether the contract for the construction of the metro station has been handed out or not. The estimated time in which the elevated track will be constructed is 27 months.

As per laid out rule of the bidding process government contract are awarded to the bidder with the lowest bid which are known as L1 bidders. Only exception being when some major discrepancies are found in the bid submitted by the participant.

Dilip Buildcon was founded in 1998 and has its headquarter in Bhopal. The company claims to be India’s fastest growing road development company. It works via Toll operation, engineering procurement and construction (EPC) projects.

The company is involved in development of highways, city roads, culvert, bridges, irrigation facilities, water supply, coal mining, water sanitation and sewage.

Discom Privatisation: Tata Power And IPCL Bid For Odisha’s Central Electricity Supply Unit

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Odisha’s Central Electricity Supply Unit (CESU) which is being privatised after 17 years has received bids from Tata Power and India Power Corporation Ltd (IPCL). This would be first privatisation of a power distribution company (Discom) after the licenses for Delhi Vidyut Board was handed out to Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd and BSES Delhi.

The State Electricity Regulatory Commission had called for bids in relation to the sale of CESU in December 2017 with the successful bidder enjoying the right to manage, invest and operate the company for a period of 25 years.

CESU is a potentially attractive option as its distribution area covers 19 per cent of the state’s area with the major cities of Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Paradeep, Angul and Talcher falling within its ambit. The revenue potential is estimated to be in the region of Rs 3000 crores with the utility servicing around twenty lakh consumers.

The privatisation effort comes even as the NDA government formulates plans to impose penalties on power distribution companies for load shedding. The financial condition of CESU is not too healthy either with the discom reeling under a debt burden of Rs 2000 crore while receivables stand at Rs 1700 crore.

Chennai Metro Tasks Private Consultants With Its Phase II Design

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has appointed two consultants to work on the design of Chennai Metro’s second phase, The Hindu has reported. The second phase of Chennai Metro includes Madhavaram to CMBT and Madhavaram to Shollinganallur via Purasawalkam and Mylapore. Phase II of the project will cover 108 km in length and cost Rs 80,000 crore.

The project will receive a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the state will fund 25 to 30 per cent of the total cost. CMRL has also sent notices to acquire 800 properties for the construction of the second phase of the metro. Soil tests are also in progress to find the geological conditions before planning underground sections of the metro.

CEG-AECOM consortium is already working on the first phase of Chennai Metro. It has also worked on the preliminary design of Hyderabad Metro in the past. Systra had prepared the design for the Chennai Metro Phase I expansion from Washermanpet to Thiruvottiyur.

The EV Obsession: Why Government Must Be Open To Multiple Transport Options

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Indian Infra Hub Staff
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Snapshot
  • India needs to build a strong public transport system and keep multiple options open rather than blindly investing on the EV ecosystem.

When NITI Aayog was gearing up for the Global Mobility Summit in Delhi, a video of a `bicycle bus’ in The Netherlands was doing the rounds on WhatsApp. It featured an open bus, propelled forward by schoolchildren, excitedly peddling away at their individual pedals. Several such buses were moving on the road in the morning along with other assorted non-motorised transport (NMT) in special lanes, which had priority at the traffic lights. It was overall, a delightful, refreshing sight. “Not possible in India, given our potholed roads and chaotic traffic!” – was the common refrain at the end of the video, despite the glee and wistfulness that had accompanied the watching.

Incidentally, the agenda of the high-profile Mobility Summit in the capital was to “evolve a clean, efficient, safe and inclusive transport system”. While many were expecting a roadmap for electric vehicles (EVs) from the event, which concluded a little more than a week ago, it stopped short of that.

What emerged was that India is in the process of deciding which road to take in mobility. NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar explained in an interview to ET Now: “The idea of the summit was to learn, and not to make announcements. Having invited high-profile people from across the globe, it would have been presumptuous to announce a policy”. With all inputs in hand, reportedly, now a policy will be formulated that would bring all relevant ministries together, as also plans to coordinate with state governments.

Though some are disappointed that the summit did not come up with tangible measures on EVs, that EVs are still priority for policymakers is evident: NITI Aayog’s Kumar mentioned in the course of the two days: “we need to put a date to it, say by 2047, the 100th year of Independence.” So, EVs, driven by renewables – appears to be the direction we are broadly moving in, in transport.

Glaring Blackholes, But Atmosphere Is Still Electric

EVs fit in with global transport solutions to reducing greenhouse emissions and combat climate change. They are alternatives to petrol and diesel transport, so they also help reduce dependence on fossil-fuel imports that make countries vulnerable to oil price shocks, and add to import bills. Energy security and fighting pollution are significant causes, too.

Thus, EVs have come to be the solution of choice.
But India’s frequently-changing stand in this area has left many puzzled (and top-league car-makers, disgruntled): In the getting-carried-away stage in 2012, the targets were ambitious at 6-7 million cars by 2020, as per the NEMMP (National Electric Mobility Mission Plan) 2020. In 2015, Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME) was brought in for rapid adoption. Then, at some point there was a target of “100-per cent new vehicle sales by 2030”, which came down to “40-per cent by 2032”; early this year, it was announced that there would be no special policy for EVs.

The reason for the rethinks on targets is the bumps experienced along the way. Reasons that underline the country’s unpreparedness to launch a major move towards the programme include costs (both initial and battery), range anxiety (EVs can run only limited number of kilometres on the fully-charged battery), lack of charging infrastructure, and other perceptions – from the point of view of individuals.

From the point of view of the country, too, the economics doesn’t work out. A study by IIMA on Electric Vehicles Scenario in 2014 pointed out that to become competitive, EVs need to be supported by fiscal concessions like sales tax, duties, etc. The analysis found that if the capital costs of EVs were brought down by around 30 per cent, only then would a major shift to EVs happen. However, the revenues that government would need to forego to provide this support would be Rs 2,803 billion for the period until 2035!

Loss of revenue (Rs billion)

Apart from initial costs of EV, battery costs are prohibitive. India does not have enough lithium to manufacture lithium-ion batteries that power EVs. The current dependence is on China, and even if we were to establish a reliable supply chain from other countries also, it would only lead to substituting imports of one form of input for another (lithium battery, instead of crude oil). What then of the country’s stated intentions of energy security and reducing import burden? Says former secretary, MNRE, Deepak Gupta, “We should not replace oil imports with battery imports. This is applicable to both EVs and solar energy.” Importantly, lithium is also a limited resource.

Cheaper substitutes for lithium have yielded poor-quality batteries, which proved to be a deterrent to people making a shift to two-wheelers. In 2011, the government did manage to sell 1.2 lakh two-wheelers – subsidy on the vehicles – but post withdrawal of subsidy and owing to battery quality, sales plummeted to 25,000 by 2016. This past experience makes us wonder how policymakers are still betting high on the two-wheeler segment to take to EVs. Reports from a user in Hyderabad additionally cite as deterrents loss of power when going up slopes, or with a pillion rider in tow.

Adopting EVs in public transport such as bus fleets is also beset with the same issues – battery prices, weight of the large batteries, charging infrastructure that requires huge investments (and runs only because of government subsidy, the world over), long battery-charging times, and limited range of driving. Battery swapping, the viable alternative is going to be expensive. Yet, it is being assumed that this sector will be able to absorb costs over five years – the big assumption being that battery costs will come down 20 per cent by 2020. Also, in relative terms, as the BS-VI norms will make owning diesel and petrol vehicles costlier, as this EY report explains, it can be concluded that much of the planning hinges on ifs. In such a scenario, planning for an EV-centric policy is a bit like shooting in the dark,especially when such huge expenditures are required in advance. Just for illustration, an e-bus costs Rs 1.5-2.5 crore, and a battery costs Rs 50 lakh upwards (with a life of seven-10 years).

The proposition is also risky because of these factors: one–disposal of used lithium batteries is environmentally hazardous; two – high dependence on the electrical grid supply for charging would make it inefficient (until renewables take off in a big way); three –dependence on electrical grid supply would also make EVs prone to disruptions from power outages; four – if the energy on which EVs are dependent for charging comes from “unclean” sources, the purpose is defeated; five – the import bill would still be high; six –international experience is not encouraging i.e. after several years of adoption in other countries, EVs still run on subsidies; seven – lithium is also a limited resource!

Does it make sense to put all our eggs in the EV basket then?

Why Is Hydrogen Being Ignored?

It’s interesting that hydrogen (H2) fuel cell ecosystem does not find mention in India’s mobility planning. One reason for going full-steam ahead with EVs could be the collaborations with Boston Consulting Group or BCG (which did a volte face and suddenly discovered affection for EVs last year), and the ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy), which draws up the international energy efficiency scorecard, and which helped India design its energy efficiency index released last month.

However, the fact is that the jury is still not out on which is more efficacious, H2 or EVs, with ardent supporters and defenders of both. Hydrogen fuel, too, has the advantages of being low-carbon; but it has advantages such as being not deplete-able, is free of range-anxiety and charging-time anxiety, as it refuels within minutes. Importantly, it can also run on internal combustion engines (ICE), which will not need to be replaced if hydrogen is adopted – unlike the EVs. This single benefit outweighs all others: the current ecosystem is built around ICEs, and the employment it provides to the entire auto industry would remain undisrupted.

Certainly, there are issues with costs and transportation of hydrogen too; yet, there are also suggestions to overcome these. Going into technical details is beyond the scope of this article, however given that it is catching on in countries like Germany, Australia and Japan, and Toyota, Hyundai and others are manufacturing vehicles based on H2 suggests that there is reason to not dismiss it right away. Even last year, Indian Space Research Organisation former chairman, G Madhavan Nair had emphasised that hydrogen is the future: “In the long run,hydrogen-based thing will be the right choice because hydrogen has to become the fuel of the next generation.” Nair had cited disposal of lithium batteries and their handling as causes for worry, and his suggestion was to go for more research and development in India to generate hydrogen in an economical manner. ISRO and Tata Motors had developed a hydrogen-powered bus in 2013.

MNRE’s steering committee on hydrogen energy and fuel cells had, in fact, put out a study on this in 2016. Citing the examples of several countries and companies, it had recommended that development and demonstration of a fleet comprising of 10 cars, 10 two-wheelers, 10 SUVs, 10 three-wheelers and 10 buses operating on fuel-cell technology be taken up as a mission mode project along with 10 dispensing stations in different places. It had even suggested supporting this through a `Centre of Excellence’ in IOC R&D.

This option must be tried out simultaneously, given the uncertainties and inherent flaws already perceptible in EVs. A good place to start can be in green field smart cities.

De-motor, Decongest, De-clutter

In connection with the Summit, a report titled Transforming India’s Mobility: A Perspective was brought out by BCG-NITI Aayog. This was a comprehensive look at India’s specific issues in transport and mobility: Connectivity across rural and urban areas; cleaner technologies that reduce our emission and carbon footprint; reduction of pollution in cities; efficient public transport system, among others.

An interesting takeaway was the role of non-motored transport (NMT). Motor vehicles, as we know, are the biggest contributor to pollution, and 10 out of the top most-polluted 20 cities in the world are in India. Given below are some cities’ pollution levels.

A sense of responsibility demands immediate steps to address this issue – and those cannot come from either EVs or hydrogen fuel, as these require massive updates in infrastructure and manufacturing. What is in the government’s hands, which would be a sure shot mitigator of pollution, is the use of non-motor vehicles and – human limbs. Both need to be encouraged.

If funds for incentives and investments for EVs can be made available, can’t some amount be used for creating lanes for cycles and bicycle buses in cities? Perhaps, also wide, tree-dotted, well-groomed pavements and sidewalks that make walking a pleasure? Perhaps, flyovers for motor vehicles and good strolling lanes at ground level for walkers? Hyderabad has an 11-km flyover to ease congestion; why not plan several such flyovers that would help free roads for pedestrians? Alternatively, elevated walkways – an example being the Promenade Plantee in Paris. Some such global examples and strategies that can be emulated were outlined in the BCG report, as given below:

Global NMT examples

We need to plan cities in a way that a combination of public transport, non-motor transport and walking would not just be attractive – but in fact, would make using private vehicles a foolish option. The latter two modes would add another ‘C’ – cost-effective/C=cheap – to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s path of “The 7Cs: common, connected, convenient, congestion-free, charged, clean, cutting-edge”. Make using private cars superfluous for any reason – simple!

The Smart Cities Mission helmed by urban local bodies is a good place to begin. Net-net, this will turn out cheaper than investing huge resources in new technology. Creating public awareness will be an important ingredient in this, and that will include inculcating the healthy habit of walking in the younger generations.

Multi-Modal, Multi-Fuel, Multi-Option

EV technology would be well used in three-wheelers; e-rickshaws are in fact, best placed to bring this technology into, as they have relatively low initial costs, are automatically low-range vehicles and easier to charge at home. Besides, this is an area that is a genuine and legitimate beneficiary of government subsidy – for the sake of employment and income-generation. This also fits very well with the crucial last-mile connectivity from public transport points like metro stations and bus stands.

Ultimately, we’re suggesting investments in a strong public transport system; bus fleets to be eventually run on hydrogen, while metro trains and three-wheelers run on electric ecosystems, and infrastructure for bicycle buses, cycles, walking – lots of these. There is reason to set aside funds for all these avenues – rather than invest blindly on the EV ecosystem. Since we are making a clean start, may as well keep it multi-option too. This, the mobility policy must keep in mind.

Swati Kamal is a columnist for Swarajya.

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