Cars, small or big, are status symbols in any society. A car with 'tiny' in its name fails to make a statement. Tata 'Nano' on the other hand, though 'tiny', is aptly named and symbolizes advancement.
Yeah, zero emissions on the road, but not in reality. The energy to run this golf-cart comes from somewhere, typically coal power plants. While it has lower emissions per unit power due to high volume, it's hardly ZERO. Also, charging the car via your home power outlet will move you to the highest slab as far as power consumption goes, so it won't be as cheap either. Given that except in the big metros, power supply is iffy, I wonder if people will try charging their cars with portable generators :D.
Electric cars can actually be much faster than the ones ganguly is trying to sell. There have been commercial electric cars in the US that were highway worthy (i.e. could do 70-80mph, or ~130kmph). I guess the last thing we need is to allow these cars on highways. With their low speed, they will clog up traffic, much like rickshaws. Replacing rickshaws with Nanos might actually help average road speed, as long as the rickshaw-wallas don't slow down when they are looking for customers or stop bang in the middle of the road to pick customers up. This thing is ok for internal city roads where you cannot cross 50k anyway.
RE:ZERO emissions?
by jon nams on Mar 17, 2008 07:50 PM Permalink
though coal is a major source of power its not the only source... now coal producing plants are being replaced with nuclear technology...also its better to have pollution at far off places where these power plants are situated than having it in the cities which are densely populated.... but the point you made on the availibility of power in only major cities india is true to the core... this is one of the reasons why cars like REVA failed miserably ....availibilty of charging sockets restrict the movement of these cars... i completely agree with you on the issue of the maximum speed offered by electric cars sold in india...
RE:ZERO emissions?
by Tom Dick on Mar 17, 2008 08:32 PM Permalink
I don't think there is nothing which emits zero pollution except wind power. Electric vehicles will have battery (bigger than the usual car battery) to store power and dead batteries will be another problem like other e-waste. Look at the number of computers, mobile phones etc., which contain pretty powerful poisonous substances, now dumped into the landfill areas. We can do without more such substances.
RE:ZERO emissions?
by Tom Dick on Mar 17, 2008 08:31 PM Permalink
I don't think there is nothing which emits zero pollution except wind power. Electric vehicles will have battery (bigger than the usual car battery) to store power and dead batteries will be another problem like other e-waste. Look at the number of computers, mobile phones etc., which contain pretty powerful poisonous substances, now dumped into the landfill areas. We can do without more such substances.
Does Indian infrastructure has roads to drive when everyone starts buying these affordable cars OR will everyone start sitting behind the wheels instead of their offices or houses in 10 hour traffic jams? :-)
Does India has roads to drive when everyone starts buying these affordable cars OR will everyone start sitting behind the wheels instead of their offices or houses in 10 hour traffic jams? :-)
RE:ON ROAD PRICE?
by dumbeldor on Mar 17, 2008 08:25 PM Permalink
electric cars get a subsidy. reva is subsidised by abt 25k. so onroad will be much closer to 1 lakh than the nano.
