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Source:www.gas2.org  26/1/12

A recycling unit launched on Tuesday 55km outside Chennai, close to the local factories of foreign auto makers including Ford Motor Co. and the Renault-Nissan alliance, may offer a cleaner and greener solution for the reuse or disposal of automotive parts. The 340-acre facility to the south-west of Chennai, in Oragadam, is a creation of Siam and the ministry of heavy industries that will dismantle cars that are no longer road-worthy.The compact unit currently working on 100 two-wheelers and 25 four-wheelers will be run primarily on manual labour, unlike heavily automated recycling centres abroad, Siam Recycling Group chairman N.S. Mohan Ram said.

Over three months, workers will dismantle each car and two-wheeler, and after removing parts that can be reused or recycled, and other parts such as glass and fabric that must go into landfills, large parts will be compressed by a hydraulic press to occupy smaller spaces.“There are strict regulations worldwide on the end of life of vehicles,” said K.K. Gandhi, executive director (technical), Siam. “In India, vehicles are bought by kabadiwallahs (scrap dealers) in areas like Mayapuri in Delhi. They dismantle the vehicle, take away the bearings, electrical parts, body parts, to recycle. The whole system is very unhygienic and can handle only low volumes.”S.S. Chawla, 30, entered his father’s 25-year-old scrap business in Mayapuri about a decade ago. The west Delhi recycling hub grabbed headlines last year following the death of a scrapyard worker from exposure to radiation from junked equipment containing nuclear material.

While there may be little adherence to environmental norms, it is undeniable that he and other scrap dealers are a valuable and cheap source of replacement for rural car owners and taxi operators who cannot afford a Rs.4,000 tyre to replace a worn-out wheel. Many car owners head to this junkyard heaven to pick a cheaper tyre ripped off from a partially damaged vehicle for Rs.800-1,000.“There are no norms for taxing old and polluting cars,” said Kumar Kandaswami, an automotive industry specialist at consultancy Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. “So there’s no motivation for people to retire their cars. A new car run in Chennai may wind up in Tuticorin (500km away) after a few years.”

Indeed, business and competition has picked up, said Chawla, as have piles of garbage generated from unusable auto parts such as glass components and plastic innards.Chennai’s Mayapuri lies to the north-west of the city, in Pudupet. The air here reeks of automotive fluids. The soil is a shimmering dark gray mix of grease and shattered glass. Many of Pudupet’s scrap shops that line every inch of its streets are stuffed with car tyres, doors, mirrors, bumpers and other tubular and metal components. The fast-growing loot comes from financiers auctioning vehicles confiscated from defaulting borrowers, insurance companies and even the forest department that finds orphaned vehicles.

But even as the resale of automotive parts may seem a logical extension of the pervasive Indian habit of reusing things, it inadvertently involves violation of environmental norms, say ecological experts.“There is always the danger of overstepping that line by using products that may not be fit enough to be used,” said Priti Mahesh, project manager with Delhi-based environmental not-for-profit Toxics Link.Amid increasing labour costs to repair dented bumpers and doors defaced by accidents, the rising stock of unblemished doors recovered from vehicles brought to Chennai and Delhi’s scrap dealers finds several takers.Still, a soaring mountain of metal spares—70% versus 30% of total scrap volumes 20 years ago, according to several Pudupet traders—don’t find buyers and are sold by weight at a profit given rising aluminium, steel and copper prices.The rise in melting and reuse of such parts by the unorganized sector, which could be lethal to air and water in the surrounding areas, offers a compelling reason for ecologically cleaner measures to recycle automotive parts.“Usually, the informal sector cuts corners as much as possible, but recovery efficiency is much lower and you may be losing a lot of resources that can be recycled,” said Toxics Link’s Mahesh. “There is a need for an organized sector effort to reuse parts of cars or two-wheelers with adherence to environmental norms.”

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Source:www.livemint.com   3-8-2011

Bottlenecks arising out of the lack of adequate infrastructure and cutting-edge technology for developing commercially-viable electric and hybrid vehicles could delay the introduction of eco-friendly products in the Indian market. “Electric scooters sold in India today run on lead acid batteries that have to be replaced annually. The batteries today constitute as much as 30 per cent of the cost of an electric vehicle, lessening the appeal of the product. Lithium-ion batteries have a longer life but are too expensive for introduction in the vehicles on Indian roads. Unless technology is developed indigenously or subsidy is provided by the government for this, running costs are unlikely to come down”, Gill explained.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) Chairman R C Bhargava concurred: “There is no electric or hybrid small car available in the market today that is commercially viable for consumers. Electric and hybrid cars require cutting-edge technology and the ones available today fall short in range as well as performance.” MSIL had developed sedan SX4 Hybrid and Eeco Charge concept vehicles as part of the government-initiated National Hybrid Propulsion Programme (NHPP) and High Energy Density Battery Development Programme. The company is, however, not looking to introduce the cars commercially in the near future.

“Even if the technology is developed, there are no charging points available for users. Infrastructure has to be set up to promote the use of electric and hybrid vehicles,” Bhargava added. A spokesperson for Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) reiterated: “We showcased the electric i10 in the Auto Expo last year. A few cars are running in Korea at present. We have the product and the technology, but, unless infrastructure is put in place and demand is subsequently generated in the market, it does not make sense to introduce the car here.”

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to set up a National Mission for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in the Budget for 2011-12 to encourage manufacturing and selling of alternative fuel-based vehicles in India. Besides, he also reduced excise duty on development and manufacturing of hybrid vehicle kits to 5 per cent from 10 per cent, and fully exempted Customs and countervailing duty on import of special hybrid parts.

Enthused by the proposals, US-based car manufacturer General Motors is developing an electric version of a small car which would be displayed in June this year. P Balendran, vice-president, General Motors India, said: “We are considering an electric version of a small car. It would either be a variant of the Spark or the Beat. The car would be showcased in June this year.” He, however, clarified that a commercial introduction would only follow measures initiated by the government to put in place infrastructure for use of electric and hybrid vehicles.

TVS Motors, meanwhile, has already developed an electric variant of Scooty Teenz and a new product for the domestic market. The company is testing 50 electric scooters in towns across the country and, on the basis of the feedback received, is looking to re-launch in the electric scooters business in 2011-12. TVS is, however, not optimistic about generating volumes in the segment anytime soon.

“Business in electric scooters picked up in India a few years back, but dropped due to issues with battery technology and withdrawal of subsidies. There is potential in the market with the government announcing a national mission for promoting electric and hybrid vehicles. We do see some proportion of sales coming from the segment over the next five years, the proportion would depend on the kind of infrastructure governments are putting in place in different states”, informed TVS Motors President (Marketing) H S Goindi.

Earlier in April 2008, TVS Motors had launched electric scooterette ‘Scooty Teenz. Electric’. The company had targeted sales of around 40,000 units on an annual basis. However, it stopped the production in May 2009 following a lukewarm response from the market.

“What is required is a national policy on electric and hybrid vehicles to bring momentum to development and use of alternative fuel-based cars and two wheelers in India. Town planners have to adopt the technology and make provisions for developing charging points for electric vehicles, subsidy has to be provided for R&D work in the area. Only then, in the medium to long term, can we expect to see far-reaching implications in the industry, as well as the ecology,” said Gill.

Ashish Sinharoy, vice-president, Renault India said: “The National Mission announced in the Budget is a positive measure, as it will compel the industry and the government to think together on promoting eco-friendly vehicles in the country. Renault is a global leader in EVs and has both electric cars and battery technology. But we will not take a hasty decision to introduce electric vehicles in the Indian market. The project should not fail and, to ensure its success, infrastructure has to be built in alliance with the government.”

Honda Siel Cars India had earlier introduced a hybrid version of sedan Civic in India in 2008. The car, which was imported as completely built units (CBU) from Japan, failed to generate the expected response and the product was withdrawn from the market within less than a year of launch. Civic hybrid was initially priced at Rs 21.5 lakh, but the company managed to sell close to 300 units in total after it slashed prices of the product by Rs 8 lakh.

Toyota is the only company which sells the Prius hybrid in India at present. Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), said: “The introduction of the National Mission for electric and hybrid vehicles is a welcome step. However, it will be some time before the hybrid market in India grows. TKM had introduced the Prius to create awareness about the hybrids, the market for which is still at a nascent stage in India.” TKM sold 150 units of Prius last year and is looking to sell 75-100 units in 2011.

Mahindra Reva, the sole maker of electric cars in the country, expects to sell 3,000 units this year. A senior SMEV official said the increase in sales was largely on the back of the incentive scheme announced by the new and renewable energy ministry last November. Under the Rs 95-crore package for electric vehicle makers for the remaining part of the 11th plan, the government provided incentives of up to 20 per cent on ex-factory prices of the vehicles, subject to a maximum limit. The cap on the incentive would be Rs 4,000 for low-speed electric two-wheelers, Rs 5,000 for high-speed electric two-wheelers and Rs 1,00,000 for an electric car.Mahindra & Mahindra is also said to be considering an electric variant of Korando (a crossover product from the Ssangyong portfolio) for introduction in the India market.

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Source: BS  23/3/2011

The scooters would be rolled out from the company’s facility in Mysore and the company would initially use lead acid batteries for the electric scooters. “Business in electric scooters picked up in India a few years back, but dropped due to issues with battery technology and the withdrawal of subsidies. There is potential in the market, with the government announcing a national mission for promoting electric and hybrid vehicles. We see some proportion of sales coming from this segment over the next five years,” Goindi said.

In April 2008, TVS Motors had launched the ‘Scooty Teenz Electric’, for which the company targeted sales of around 40,000 units per year. However, it stopped production in May 2009, as the product received a lukewarm response.Goindi said TVS Motors is studying the impact of the rise in commodity prices on the company’s margins and a decision on price rise is likely to be taken next month.Meanwhile, the company on Friday launched its premium bike, ‘Apache RTR 180’, which boasts of anti-lock braking system technology and is priced at Rs 78,880 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

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Business Standard 12/3/2011

The scheme, which saw roaring success in the developed markets of Europe and the US, could also be launched in India. The Heavy Industries Ministry, now led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, had set up a separate committee to look into its feasibility.Indian auto bigwigs, including Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) among others, which predominantly have a diesel-fired model line-up in the multi-utility and sports-utility vehicle segments were slapped with an additional excise duty of Rs 20,000 in June 2008.

Ironically, this duty was later reduced to Rs 15,000 in the Union Budget last year, prompting critics to speculate that the move would fuel the demand for SUVs. The industry has seen a jump of 32 per cent in the sales of such multi-seater passenger vehicles, selling 303,202 units during the April-October period.Nigel Wark, executive director (marketing, sales and service), Ford India, said, “If the a cash for clunkers scheme is implemented in India, it will take many polluting and fuel-inefficient old vehicles off the roads. These will be replaced by new vehicles that have much better technology and vastly superior fuel efficiency.”

Most SUV models, which are preferred for their superior space and better comfort, have diesel engines. While Ford sells the Endeavour SUV in India, market leader M&M sells the Bolero, Scorpio and Xylo models in the utility-vehicle space, with a market share of 52 per cent.A senior executive from SIAM stated, “We should have a plan that would discourage owners of older vehicles from keeping them running by making it more expensive. People own vehicles that are more than 10 years old and are highly polluting in nature mostly because of an improper service record.”

Automakers also add that contrary to the popular belief that SUVs cause more pollution than petrol counterparts, modern day utility vehicles run on engine technology which produces better mileage than models running on petrol, which is also more expensive.P Balendran, vice-president, corporate affairs, General Motors India, said, “Be it MUVs, SUVs or passenger cars, diesel technology today is cleaner and more fuel-efficient than petrol. Diesel cars give more mileage and high-end vehicles running on the fuel do not pollute.”Some manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors are exporting vehicles from India to the developed markets of Europe, which follow an even stricter emission norm than India.

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Source: sify.com 14/11/2010

Sport18, the sports marketing division of the Network18 group and ID Sports, a sports management company, have joined hands with TI Cycles and the Salman Khan Foundation- Being Human to launch this mega event.”The fantastic response we received through the BSA Hercules India cyclothon held in Mumbai today is a stepping stone towards putting India on the international cycling map. Such events will boost our country’s efforts to contribute further to a healthier and greener world which we, as a developing nation, aim to achieve.” says Dr. Raghuram, president, TI Cycles.

R Gopalakrishnan, executive director — Tata Sons, said, “The Tata group has a longstanding belief in improving the quality of life of the communities we serve. We believe that one part of improving the quality of life includes empowering communities to make informed decisions on their health and environment. Our association with the ‘Mumbai cyclothon’ is an effective and active platform that raises awareness on the importance of a clean environment and good health for a better tomorrow.”

The best riders from the Elite Men National category will be trained under the guidance of John Gloster, Director – ID Sports and physio – Rajasthan Royals to compete with international riders in the near future. The race and selection of riders was governed by David McQuaid, Race director for the event.

Our main aim of promoting cycling through the Being Human Tour De Mumbai – Mumbai Cyclothon is to bring professional international cycling to India. Moreover it’s the best and easiest way to keep your heart healthy and fight the increasing risk of heart diseases that seems to be plaguing our people at a very young age”, says Dr. Akil Khan, chairman and managing director, ID sports, adding a health and fitness dimension to this event. On this occasion, ID Sports launched India’s first healthcare online portal, Topdoctorsonline.com that intends to enable rural India to have access to the best doctors in the country through the portal.

Speaking at this event, Satish Menon, CEO of Sport18 said, “The BSA Hercules India Cyclothon – Mumbai chapter provided the amateur riders an excellent opportunity to cycle on the Mumbai’s latest landmark – The Bandra-Worli Sea Link, thus inspiring and motivating a lot of the youngsters to consider the sport seriously. In the coming years, we intend to take the India Cyclothon nation-wide, and contribute towards a healthy and pollution-free India.”

Endorsed by the cycling legend, Eddy Merckx, a five-time Tour De France winner and recipient of the highest honors in cycling, the cyclothon was guided under the medical supervision of John Gloster, Physio – Rajasthan Royals and Victor Popov, five-time official physio of Tour De France and consultant physio to the Australian Cricket Team.

David McQuaid, Race Director – UCI said, “I am delighted to see such an overwhelming response in India for cycling as a sport. This event has been executed in an excellent way by the organizers – Sport 18 and ID Sports. This is the first time UCI has permitted for an international race in India and I am very happy to direct the same.”

In addition to TI Cycles as the title sponsor for Mumbai Cyclothon, various other Corporates extended their association and participation in the event. Some of leading brands from corporate India namely Provogue, Union Bank of India,ICICI Lombard Health Insurance, Tata Group, Gitanjali, Reebok, Gatorade, Nature Valley, Volini, Nokia, Lilavati, Times of India, Bisleri, Gold’s Gym, Trident, MTV, CNBC-TV18,CNN-IBN, Bright Outdoors, Lilavati Hospitals, Topspin and John Gloster were on-board as partners. The KBS foundation in an indication of its support to cyclothon organized a Car-Free Day at Carter Road today. Partners like Red FM, Cinemax, Reebok and Café Coffee Day in the lead up to the event engaged with their consumers through in-house promotional activities.

The Ahmedabad-based company plans to collaborate with local garage owners in installing battery charging stations at a radius of around three kilomteres of major cities. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore and Ahmedabad are some of the cities identified for setting up battery stations.Electrotherm’s YO Speed, the 750 watt bike comes with a 33 AH battery and lasts for about two years, covering around 30,000 kms. The battery costs around Rs 8,000-10,000.

It generally takes around seven hours to charge the lead-based battery. It recently came up with the new ‘alpha-weaver’ battery, that will increase the travel range of the electric bikes from 70 kilometers(km) for a single charge to over 105 km, as against conventional lead acid batteries and at the same time bring down the charging time from eight to four hours. These batteries are also lighter by six kilograms compared to conventional batteries, claimed EIL. While the cost of charging is yet to be worked out on, it could be around Rs 4 per unit.

The move comes after the ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced that it is working on the possibility of offering subsidies to those companies which set up a network of battery charging stations.The company is in talks with the Centre as well as the state governments to push its case for abolishing taxes on electric vehicles(EVs) and offering subsidy on buying EVs.Currently, the company has seven electric bike variants of which two are high-speed variants.

It plans to introduce two more scooters in the same segment during 2010. The high-speed segment will account for two-thirds of our sales within the next two years, Singh said.EIL expects to nearly double its sales to 30,000 to 40,000 units in the coming fiscal on the back of the new launches this year and the ‘alpha weaver’ technology-based batteries it has developed for its scooters.Nearly, 95,000 electric scooters were sold during 2008-09 and the industry is expected to grow by 10 per cent this fiscal. Delhi is the biggest market for electric bikes for EIL accounting for 20 per cent of its net sales followed by West Bengal at 15 per cent.

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Source: Business Standard 18/2/2010

One Lotus was even partially made from hemp, relied on solar power for its electrics and was fitted with sisal carpets.All of which was a far cry from the usual displays of fast cars promoted by beaming models in an unabashed display of masculine values where ?green? was more likely to be used as an insult.Of course beyond all the conspicuous eco-options, the muscle cars were still there. For every green vehicle there were many others ? often produced by the same manufacturers ? built for speed, comfort and very little else.So is the motor industry just doing a bit of sharp marketing, and carrying on business-as-usual behind the scenes?

Environmentalists argue that the car industry is a long way from meeting overall targets for reducing CO2 emissions, and call for tougher legislation.According to the pan-European environmental lobby group Transport and Environment, top manufacturers need to make further cuts of 17 percent to meet 2012 targets of 130 grams of carbon per kilometer. T&E are calling for European Union action to force the companies to comply.

The industry argues for self-regulation and says it is doing all it can. There are signs of change: BMW has won praise for cutting average emissions by more than 7 percent in 2007.But they?re still not moving fast enough for campaigners.?Just as Pinocchio couldn?t be a real boy till he stopped telling lies, the car makers will never be green until they stop showing off a green image at car shows while filling the roads with ever heavier and more powerful gas guzzlers,? says Helen Perivier, Greenpeace International campaigner.

Greenpeace argues that the motor industry has a poor record of self-regulation, citing its failure to meet voluntary European standards agreed in 1996.The pressure group also say manufacturers have increased their lobbying campaign to water down proposals for the legally-binding standards that the European Union has had on the table since 2006 in response to manufacturers? failure to meet the earlier voluntary targets.

Financial crisis a boon for electric cars?

But despite these criticisms there are signs that the motor industry is changing faster than ever before ? and the credit crunch might be driving that forward.Car sales have fallen dramatically in recent months as a combination of high oil prices and the general economic downturn make the purchase of a new gas guzzler much less attractive.

Car sales plunged 26 percent overall in the United States in September, led by a massive 34 percent fall at Ford. They were down 22 percent in the UK, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.One way to get customers back into the showroom is the promise of a greener vehicle that will make them feel good about themselves.In addition car manufacturers know they have to change to stay competitive in an era of yo-yoing fuel prices.

At the Paris Auto Show this autumn there were 19 plug-in mass market electric models were on show from manufacturers like Toyota, Dodge and Renault.The vehicles are vastly more efficient and user-friendly than they would have been even a few years ago. Most would take about three hours to charge and run for 100 miles (161 kilometers) before switching over to regular gas.

For those who love speed, there?s the Tesla Roadster, an electric car that does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and can go for 220 miles on a single charge.Cars such as these have a real chance of grabbing consumer?s attention, and even in more difficult times, of offering a pain-free transition to low carbon driving.

Plus, the U.S. presidential elections have seen the contenders vying to offer support to those choosing to go green. Barack Obama has said, if elected, he would help put 1 million electric cars on the roads of America and give everyone who buys one a $7,000 tax credit as a carrot. John McCain has offered a $5,000 credit to those who purchase an electric vehicle ? and for the industry he is pledging a $300 million prize for whoever comes up with a real electric alternative to the internal combustion engine.

Although the reality of a truly zero emission vehicle is still some way off yet, manufacturers are moving forward, and behind the scenes there are signs that the industry is getting closer, inch-by-inch, through a series of small innovations that together could make all the difference.The infrastructure needed to keep electric cars charged and on the roads will require substantial investment ? and the lack of a convenient network of charging points remains a barrier to the take-up of the technology.

However, smaller, lighter, faster charging batteries and home charging kits are already making the day that investment will become profitable ever closer.

But here?s the rub.

A recent World Wildlife Fund report warned that climate change is happening faster than previously predicted; in the past 15 months the Arctic Ocean has in some areas lost sea ice 30 years ahead of current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions.

So the question remains: will ?green? vehicles come soon enough?

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Source:http://www.automonster.ca/?p=844

Electric car, or e-car, is the new super kid in the world of automobiles. Global auto majors like GM, Nissan and Honda are all putting greater focus on e-vehicles while cutting down on the production of fuel-guzzling light trucks and SUVs.Several developed and developing markets are likely to see e-car launches this year. Electric cars have been a success in a few markets like the US.However, e-cars are more expensive than petrol or gasoline-driven vehicles. Besides, such offerings have to be matched with the right infrastructure like charging stations. Tata Motors, it may be mentioned, has teamed up with the US auto major Chrysler to market the Ace electric version (EV) in the US market in early 2009. The company is also developing an eco-car with the Thai government.

Source: ET