Fuel Of The Future

What makes lithium-ion batteries our best bet?

- ShaShank Singh

Whether you like it or not, electric cars (EVs) are marching in, and with vigour this time. The day is not far when the talk of the town would shift from “kitna deti hai” to “kitna chalti hai”. EVs have something with them this time, which they lacked in the past. They have good battery technology now.

European, Chinese and American markets are already churning out, and consuming, electric cars at a more rapid rate than ever before. Here in India, we can already feel the build-up of the inevitable, as many manufacturers are already testing camouflaged examples on the road as we speak.

Remember the electric Reva? It used to come with lead-acid batteries, the same regular ‘ol battery as used to start your engines. These batteries leave a lot to be desired, and are very inefficient. So much so, that after eight long hours of charging, a Reva could manage just 60 odd kilometres of driving. That’s not something you wanted to buy your car for, right? A car or bike means freedom,but buyers felt rather caged in a Reva with its paltry range.