What would PROF JHUNJHUNWALA say ?

Time  to  get  Charged  Up  ?

Not only for those 6 million Electric cars that Shri Gadkariji / Shri Piyush Goyalji , want to put on the Indian roads by 2022, but also for India’s Auto Industry ( whose fate seems so uncertain ! )

Read following news that appeared on Independent.co.uk ( 25 May 2017 ) :

Electric cars are charged while moving at more than 60mph on new Scalextric-style track

Sir Richard Branson has speculated that electricity will become virtually free

A Scalextric-style stretch of road capable of charging cars while they drive at speeds of up to 100kmh (62mph) has been created in France in a breakthrough that could make electric vehicles much more popular.

While range anxiety has diminished as a problem for electric vehicles with some models now achieving distances of about 300 miles on a single charge, it still then takes time to recharge the battery.

So the ability to charge a car while it was moving would be a significant step.

In a statement, Qualcomm Technologies said it had “ designed and built a wireless system capable of charging an electric vehicle dynamically … at highway speeds ”.

Two vehicles were able to use the 100-metre track to top up their batteries at the same time and it worked in both directions.

Steve Pazol, vice president and general manager of wireless charging at Qualcomm Incorporated, said: “ We are inventors … this dynamic charging demonstration is the embodiment of this.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. The combination of a global team of expert engineers and Qualcomm Halo technology … has enabled us to really push the boundaries of the possible and outline our vision for future urban mobility.”

The track itself was built at Satory near Versailles by Vedecom institute, which was set up as part of a programme of investment by the French government. Its Fabric project is looking into the technological feasibility of charging electric vehicles on the move.

Such “disruptive technologies” were “ essential to enable the French car industry to sell accessible electric and hybrids vehicles to a great number of people ”, the institute added. 

In an article about the charging system, the This Is Money website suggested there were still “ a few potholes in the concept ”, including how motorists would be charged for the electricity.

Business tycoon Sir Richard Branson, who is involved in Formula E electric racing cars, has predicted electricity will eventually become virtually free.

Speaking in 2015, he predicted the world would be powered entirely by clean energy in 30 years and added :

“ Turn the clock another 30 years and we’re almost going to be powering the world with no energy costs at all. 

“ There’s a very, very bright future for everybody.”

But following questions remain :

What would be the “ cost per km “ of laying down those “ Charging Pads “ ?

From where will those “ Inductive Charging Pads “ get their own electricity ? If that power is going to come from Coal-based Power Plants , there is no gain as far as reducing the air pollution is concerned !

Of course , it may still make economic sense , if the cost of laying “ Inductive Charging Pads “ works out cheaper than creating lakhs of stationary EV charging Stations , all over the country !

How does this technology ( Inductive Charging Pads ) compare with “ piezo-electric panels embedded on the highway surface , which generate electricity due to tyre pressure “ , which is undergoing commercial trials in California ?

{ Read : A  Reverse  Toll  ?  Possible ( 07 May 2017 )

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2017/05/a-reverse-toll-possible.html  }

Can we think of covering all of our highways ( not possible to cover city roads ) with Solar Panels which supply power to those “ Inductive Charging Pads “ ?

(  What about providing enough clearance for tall vehicles ? )

Gujarat has shown the feasibility of such an idea by covering water canals by Solar Power Panels ( which , also reduce water losses due to evaporation ! )

Covering our highways with Solar Panels will make the travel cool / comfortable and the cars will not need powerful air-conditioners ( consuming power ! )

If we can pull this off , then we could eliminate pollution ( caused by Coal-based Power Plants ) AND simultaneously eliminate the need for EV charging Stations on our highways !

In my earlier blog :

( Need of the hour : TEAM ) ,

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2017/04/need-of-hour-team.html }

I had listed a few emerging technologies that our government should try to get ( license ) / develop and then hand-over FREE to our Entrepreneurs / Start Ups

To that list , let us add “ Inductive Charging Pads “ from Vedecom institute / Qualcomm Technologies

Dear Shri Gadkariji :

While wishing you all luck in convincing  ELON MUSK  to set up an Electric Car plant in India , I urge you to reach out to all those developers of “ Revolutionary Technologies “ for coming to India

28  May  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs