Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining great popularity globally on the back of nominal ownership cost, in the long run, clubbed with its zero-emission characteristic. The industry is seeing some revolutionary technological innovations to fuel the world to use EVs as the only means of transportation for a sustainable future
Global leaders across industries are focusing on ways to improvise their traditional business operations in a bid to offset their carbon footprint to make the world sustainable for the future. As age-old Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered vehicles’ emissions have been a major contributor to the mounting global pollution and are directly responsible for the rise in Green House Gases, zero emissions or green mobility is being looked at as the future of commuting.
What started as a revolution in the West, the Asian market has quickly picked pace in transitioning to emission-free electric mobility. On the back of the increasing demand for electric mobility infrastructure by Indian citizens, several automobile giants in the car and scooter manufacturing space have already started rolling out an electric fleet of their best-performing models. Not just in passenger vehicles, but supply chain majors have been switching to electric transportation mules for last-mile deliveries.
Likewise, to electrify India’s reliance on green mobility sooner, the central and state governments are not only offering lucrative subsidies to domestic buyers but also encouraging industrial players like bus and cab aggregators to engage in electric vehicles. States have been setting up charging infrastructure and also offering private players to set up shop at frequent intervals for truly seamless, green road connectivity.
With that being said, let’s witness which technological innovations in the EV markets are making inroads to revolutionize the way people commute:
- Battery Technologies – Ever-evolving with advanced lithium chemistries that reduce the burden on other rare-earth high-thermal run-away elements & solid-state batteries to sodium-ion, aluminum-air, etc., this new-age battery tech is not only offsetting increased depletion of natural resources but also has cut down the production and delivery processing time of EVs which wasn’t the case formerly. It’s ripe with billions of dollars being invested and breakthroughs every other week. We are at the cusp of new tech coming from the lab to being realized in the market at scale.
- Vehicle Forms & Modular Platforms – Minimalism has been a go-to element for the masses. They seek modern, aesthetically designed products while being maximum on functionality. Similar is their expectation with their automobiles. Newer vehicle types that defy the age-old design language are already emerging. From primitive sedans, hatchbacks, and minivans, now we are going beyond SUVs, MPVs, pick-up trucks, etc. Modern-day tech like micro-cars, narrow-cars, and all-weather bikes are filling the gap between a bike and a car. New custom-built electric bikes for defense forces, special needs & even amphibian bikes are being developed too.
‘Right-size’ & purpose-built are the new mantra to thrive in a diversified consumer market. Modular, customizable platforms are being built not only for 4-wheelers but also for 2-wheelers that simplify the manufacturability by 10-fold.
- Vehicle 2 Grid (V2G) – Similar to the World Wide Web, there have been efforts by several up-and-rising companies to seek ways in charging global renewable energy grid with electric supply sought from electric vehicles to be used for various household purposes. This technology is going to take shape faster as long-haul travel can not only be emissions-free but also comes with the ability to seek mobile accommodation in electric caravans and motorhomes as an adaptation to the primitive nomadic lifestyle. We’ve already heard the cases of vehicles providing the necessary heating for folks who experienced electricity shortages during a hurricane. There will be much more use cases per the need.
- Manufacturing Footprint – It’s not just the end products’ emissions that are calculated, but we have to look at the bigger picture wherein to make the EV mechanism of one car, the manufacturer has to source several elements deeper from the earth requiring them to engage in extensive mining that in turn leads to increased carbon emissions. Manufacturers are hence becoming increasingly conscious about reducing the carbon footprint during manufacturing batteries & vehicles. Recycling & reusing of batteries and vehicle components are being emphasized by several new entrants in the market too.
- Standardization of Chargers & Charging Port Standardization: If not anything else, one-size fits all concept is a necessity in the case of charging infrastructure to quell range anxiety across consumers with different kinds of EVs. Standardization of charging ports and chargers will ensure easy accessibility by all kinds of EV commuters and instill inclusivity irrespective of the type of their EV. Reducing friction & range anxiety by providing interoperability to users, standardization of charging infrastructure has many benefits in the long run.
- Autonomous Technology – The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a popular tech for home appliances in creating a smart household environment. Similarly, smart, connected vehicles that can be auto-summoned, auto-parked & auto-docked to a charging station are the next frontier in the EV space. Increasing vehicle utilization, reducing consumption, and optimizing parking space in the city, autonomous tech in the EV space will help democratize mobility across the country.
Considering the above technological innovation in the EV space, mobility in India is certainly going to see a new dawn. All technologies go through the hype cycles. Very few actually match up to the buzz generated. EV revolution is one of those. However, with an integrated approach with high demand for EVs and their solutions and the government and industry partnership in addressing the same by supplying quality products and services, EVs are going to only thrive globally and in India.
(The author is Mr. Sravan Appana, CEO of iGowise Mobility, and the views expressed in this article are his own)
