I am sure you know the answer for this question - Petrol prices are not going to decrease substantially, anytime in the future. Petrol prices have gone up from an average of Rs. 32 - 34 in 2003 to Rs. 72 - 75 in 2013. That's an increase of more than 100% in just 10 years.
Guess what - with the increase in demand and depleting petroleum resources, the next 10 years might very well see the petrol prices increase by 200%.
If you notice your petrol bills every month, you'll notice that your car is not exactly fuel efficient. With more people on the road, we are going to have more cars, and more need for petrol in the future.
Can we do something to solve this ever-increasing petrol price issue?
Yes, it is possible for you to eliminate the need for petrol as an enabler of transportation (at least in cities and towns) TODAY. And in the process, you can reduce pollution and curtail your carbon emissions.
The solution is electric cars powered by solar panels.
Electric cars come with their advantages and limitations. One big advantage is - You can use solar panels to charge the battery and use the car within the city, without any need for petrol. You can always use the grid power for backup.
An electric car like the Mahindra e20 can run using solar power only, or it can also have an optional grid connectivity (and be charged using a standard 15A power socket at homes).
According to their brochure, 1 KWp Solar Panels enables the car to run for 15,000 KM in a year.
That is 1250 KM a month.
That is 50 KM a day (excluding Sundays).
And this is available to your for a price of just around one lakh, over the price of the car.
Details/Options for Mahindra Sun2Car available here (pdf).
I guess your office is located less than 25 KM from your house. If not, it's time to look for a home nearer to your office - you are wasting a lot of time commuting!
Electric cars have limited range - around 100 KM per charge - but that is sufficient for in-city use. If you want to go out of station, you can always rent a car (along with driver) and travel comfortably - assuming you travel out of the city, rarely (like once in a month).
I am sure new electric car models will be released in India, shortly. Globally, almost every top car manufacturer has at least one electric car (or hybrid models) in their kitty.
If you want to get out of the polluting petrol/diesel (along with their escalating costs), and set an example to fellow motorists, electric car is an excellent option.
Even if thousand people opt for electric cars & solar panels in each town in India, the strain on petroleum resources will be considerably lesser and our foreign exchange rate will improve.
Image credit: By Verity Cridland (Queuing for Petrol Uploaded by Markos90) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
Even if thousand people opt for electric cars & solar panels in each town in India, the strain on petroleum resources will be considerably lesser and our foreign exchange rate will improve.
Image credit: By Verity Cridland (Queuing for Petrol Uploaded by Markos90) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
