Electric vehicles make a lot of sense for public transportation - especially for autos, tuk-tuks, mini-vans, etc. In Delhi, electric rickshaws are already popular. The biggest advantage of electric vehicles, and the reason why they are featured on this site is: They can be powered through solar panels and renewable energy. Also.
I am sure all of us remember those little electric cars made by Reva (Mahindra bought the company and redesigned the car as Mahindra E20). A Company called d-ESPAT, specializing in Lithium Polymer batteries/energy solutions, based in Chennai, took the Reva car and made some enhancements to the car and the battery in order to extend its application and usage.
Their aim is to design a small electric vehicle that can carry around 8 people for public transportation. Right now, they have made a smaller prototype using an existing model of Reva. I met their representatives at the recently concluded RENREGY 2014 exhibition in Chennai and they explained the changes that they made in Reva and how it has proved to be beneficial.
They replaced the Lead-Acid battery in the Reva with a Lithium Polymer battery, which stores/discharges more energy with a smaller footprint. (Mahindra E20 also uses a Li-Ion battery - for your info.) The lead acid batteries were weighing 240 Kg, but the new Lithium Polymer batteries weigh only 68 Kg. They also found that 150 Ampere Hour battery was sufficient instead of the existing 200 Ampere Hour battery. Also, the new batteries could be charged within 4 hours and they offer 98 KM range per charge. They added an electronic module which offers features like safety disconnection, etc. for protecting the battery.
These changes brought down the weight of the vehicle drastically and they were able to add two more seats for kids. Their representatives say that they have tested the car (2400 KM). If you know Tamil, do have a look at this video where the technical details and benefits are explained by the company representative.
Probably their next step would be to apply these findings to design an electric vehicle that can be used for public transportation. It's a grand vision and I wish them all the very best in their endeavors. I just wish they could integrate solar panels along with this vehicle so that the battery can be charged as the vehicle is moving on the road and while it is parked.
Renewable energy and electric vehicles make a great combination. It's high time companies like this are encouraged both by the Government and people to create a change in our currently heavy-polluting transportation system. The number of cars and vehicles on the road are only going to increase and it's better if they are based on electric motors powered by solar panels (at least partially).
