Are we ready for a battery-powered future?

Aimed at reducing carbon emissions, the Tamil Nadu government recently kicked off an initiative to run 500 electric buses in three cities —Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore.
Inputs by Dia Rekhi, KV Navya, Rinreichui Kashung, Vaishali Vijaykumar
Inputs by Dia Rekhi, KV Navya, Rinreichui Kashung, Vaishali Vijaykumar

Aimed at reducing carbon emissions, the Tamil Nadu government recently kicked off an initiative to run 500 electric buses in three cities —Chennai, Madurai & Coimbatore. With the first phase rolled out, Chennaiites discuss the pros and cons

Arun Subramanian, 24, entrepreneur
Electric vehicles have always been the alternative for IC engines. It’s very commendable that Tamil Nadu is implementing this. It is about time the state reclaims its rightful place in being ahead of the country when it comes to vehicle innovations. Electronic vehicles will be well-received by the environmentally conscious market. However, maintaining it will be critical and expensive. We don’t want to repeat the mistake of not maintaining it well, like with the previous Volvo — premium AC bus initiative. Another note is that only 10 per cent of the lead-acid batteries can be reused. Others go waste and require safe disposal.

Vignesh P, 23 student
I consider it a great move by our state government to sign an agreement with C-40 Cities Clean Bus Declaration to launch battery buses. It will save money which would help the state to manage the financial crisis on transportation fees. It is also good for our environment. Air pollution will reduce. By using electric vehicles, we can also reduce greenhouse gas emission. Electric vehicles are also cheaper to maintain. Other states should also follow suit.

Praveen Sridharan, 25, entrepreneur
Though this is a great first step and shows awareness and willingness to change from the state, we have to wonder if there is good infrastructure to handle such electric vehicles. It is easier to implement it in Coimbatore, compared to Chennai, where buses are the heart of intracity transport.

Ranjani Seshadri,24, teacher
Energy conservation is a major issue in all parts of the world today and we are well aware of the ever-increasing fuel consumption and raising diesel prices. Public transportation, being widely used in the state has its fair share of carbon emissions. Electric buses have gained popularity in recent times and one cannot ignore its pros and cons before deciding on its efficiency. Apart from the striking fact that they have no carbon emissions, making them very eco-friendly and improving public health, they are easier to run, are low maintenance and also reduce noise pollution, making them a perfect alternative. On the other hand, since they run on batteries, which take extremely long hours to charge, there is always the possibility of a breakdown while travelling long distances, in which case multiple charge points are required. Time and technology alone can decide the success of this initiative.

Sorav Jain, 31, entrepreneur
I believe this is one of the wisest moves. Only when the government takes the eco-friendly route, can they push the residents to do the same. With pollution increasing every day, this is a fresh move towards a better state. Once there are results about the way these buses bring down the carbon emission, it will ignite all our minds.

Nandha Kishore, 24, analyst
After attending a programme for Environment Day, I came to know that around 75 per cent of the city prefers using public transport. Given that the state is nearing a drought situation, such a move could bring about some positive changes in the climate in the foreseeable future. The only con that may affect this plan is the longer refuelling time which could hamper the frequency of these buses — however, if properly implemented it should not be a big issue to the daily users. I believe that such moves are critical now, more than ever before. I would urge the government to start more ‘Smart City’ initiatives that could create a sustainable environment.

Sivagami Balasubramaniyan, 22 student
I think it’s a big step taken by the government. Electric buses are eco-friendly when compared to diesel buses, and this kind of initiative will be appreciated by the public. This move will also help to handle the environmental crisis or at least it will be an eye-opener. I think it will have a less negative effect when compared to carbon-emitting buses, this will reduce air pollution and noise pollution as electronic vehicles are quiet compared to diesel vehicles. But my question is, how effective will this move be? As we have seen in the past, the government has introduced several plans for state development but, it has never been effective.

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