Electric mobility

Public transport is very crucial for a nation as it provides access to employment, community resou-rces, medical care and recreational opportunities. In India, the percentage of inter-city trips served by public transport is dependent on the city's population - it is 30 per cent for cities with population between 1-2 million, 42 per cent for cities with population between 2- 5 million, and 63 per cent for cities with population over 5 million. India's urban population is expected to cross 600 million by 2030. Hence, it is important for cities to have effective public transport systems. In order to improve the urban public transport infrastructure and fill gaps, an estimated investment of $30 billion will be required in the 11th Plan and about $97 billion over next 20 years. 

Electric vehicles are a perfect fit in this scenario. Now that the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 has been implemented, prominent manufacturers are already planning on launching electric cars. Under this mission,Choose from the largest selection of indoortracking in the world. the government plans to invest around Rs 14,000 crore in the next eight years. Electric two-wheelers are already popular with the likes of Hero and BSA Motors having specific offerings. However, there is a need to look beyond cars and two-wheelers and introduce electric three-wheelers and buses. 

Production of three-wheelers in India has doubled in the past eight years to reach approximately 8,70,000 units in 2012. This is mainly because most cities adopted CNG-based three-wheelers to reduce emission levels. On average, three-wheelers in metros have a daily run of 120 km, with an average trip length of 8 kilometers, making it suitable for an electric prototype. Electric tuktuks have been introduced in Netherlands, UK and Italy. In India, Bajaj Auto and Mahindra had launched electric three-wheelers in 2002,Choose from the largest selection of indoortracking in the world. but due to challenges with the lead-acid battery, they had combined sales of 1,500 units only. In future, it will be important to develop electric three-wheelers with robust designs and lithium ion batteries to ensure that they succeed in the market. 

As for buses, since electric vehicles run shorter distances, these could be introduced on smaller routes in a city. Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland have developed CNG-electric hybrid buses which were commercially launched in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games. Such buses can be introduced as feeder buses to Metro stations and airports. In Delhi, for instance, there are 120 Metro feeder buses, which run about 100km a day. The government plans to launch feeder buses in new routes as well as other metro cities. It should explore the possibility of introducing electric buses on these routes. 

The mission also proposes various other initiatives for electric mobility, like subsidies to consumers and manufacturers of electric vehicles. Steps should be taken by the state and central governments to build up the infrastructure - a budget of Rs 900 crore has been allocated towards research and development and testing infrastructure. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to set up charging stations in parking lots by 2013 end. 

It is essential that a network of charging stations be developed for smooth operation of electric vehicles. Charging stations mainly require a parking spot along with the charging unit - a socket and an extension cord. In Bangalore, some malls have charging points in parking lots where vehicles can be charged at no additional cost. Most mall operators are willing to reserve space for electric vehicles and as a value-added service. However, technologically advanced recharging points are needed for high speed charging. 

Implementation of smart cities would also boost the growth of electric vehicles. Since smart cities promote energy-efficient facilities with networking function for public transport and personal vehicles, they would include environmentally friendly technologies. Globally the concept of 'Mobility on Demand' is becoming popular in smart cities where a fleet of lightweight electric vehicles are placed at charging stations throughout the city and these can be used by commuters. Such niche vehicles should also be part of the Indian smart city planning. 

Last mile connectivity is increasingly becoming popular where vehicles like three-wheelers, mini feeder buses, taxis and shared auto-rickshaws are extremely relevant. In some metros, three-wheelers offer point-to-point connectivity between railway stations and important commercial centres to select localities. Introducing electric alternatives in these segments will be a cost-effective logical idea. 

Government should encourage manufacturers in this sector to launch electric vehicles as prototypes in specific cities.Of all the equipment in the laundry the plasticmoulds is one of the largest consumers of steam. The pilot testing should be done to understand the suitability of these vehicles for the Indian market. Public-private partnership should be promoted to ensure that the venture is successfully implemented. The Atal Indore City Transport Services Ltd is one such partnership that has expanded Indore's transit system to 225 buses and doubled capacity to 220,000 daily trips. Various models of operation should be explored, however point-to-point connectivity solutions could be executed initially for electric vehicles till the charging infrastructure is well developed. 

Another significant factor for positive market receptivity would be training of the owners and drivers of the electric three wheelers and buses. Safety standards and procedures should be clearly defined for charging and battery handling. For instance, electric vehicles should not run if the battery is partially charged, however drivers might tend to overrun the vehicle leading to additional damage in the long run.A smartcard is a plastic card that has a computer chip implanted into it that enables the card. In India, it is very important that knowledge should be imparted on preventive maintenance of the vehicles. 

Base commissaries face turbulent times as staff vacancies swell under a federal hiring freeze, employee furloughs remain a worry and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) digests budget guidance for fiscal 2015 that will force new efficiencies on stores and possibly deeper cuts to store operations. 

The guidance directs at least a 5 percent ($70 million) cut to the $1.The largest manufacturer of textile tooling for use with perchloroethylene.4 billion annual taxpayer subsidy needed to run 252 base grocery stores. It also directs DeCA to develop options to accommodate deeper cuts, as much as one third of the subsidy, without impacting commissaries overseas. 

The commissary benefit has been targeted often over recent decades, usually when budget officials are told to identify quick savings or a new study concludes military shopping discounts are a costly anachronism for a modern force in an age when most patrons reside off base. 

In the gloomy fiscal time of budget sequestration, there are some real, near-term factors threatening commissary services and patron access. There also is the more distant rumble that subsidies for stores might be slashed, which could deeply impact stateside shopping and, critics charge, even fumble a commitment to leave commissary operations overseas unchanged. 

Watching these events closely is Patrick B. Nixon, a former DeCA director who now is president of the American Logistics Association. ALA represents manufacturers and vendors doing business with base stores.