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One thing not mentioned in the article is that virtually all of Delhi's autorickshaws are powered by CNG, not gas/petrol. On the other hand, most of India's el

One thing not mentioned in the article is that virtually all of Delhi's autorickshaws are powered by CNG, not gas/petrol. On the other hand, most of India's electricity comes from coal, and dirty coal at that. So is switching to e-rickshaws really a net benefit?

harryVic 7y ago
Coal power plants are more efficient than internal combustion engines. So yes, e-rickshaws are cleaner.
- seanmcdirmid 7y ago
  Are cleaner than CNG rickshaws?
  - yoyogesh01 7y ago
    Some changes are neccesary for reform
  - knowThySelfx 7y ago
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/CNG-run-vehicles-emit-dangerous-nanocarbon-CSIR-study-finds/articleshow/48377499.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/polluti... "The compressed natural gas run buses are harmful for humans as they emit "nanocarbon" particles which can cause cancer, according to a study conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Though the study was conducted on a very limited sample size in Delhi, CSIR took the findings seriously owing to the health hazard it poses to humans and alerted the central government for further follow up, CSIR's director general Dr MO Garg said on Thursday." Could it breach Blood Brain Barrier? https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=19339.php https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=19339.php "Another route by which nanoparticles can enter the brain is via the olfactory nerve, circumventing the blood-brain barrier. The olfactory nerve (nervus olfactorius) has a direct connection to the brain by way of its long processes (axons). It is therefore conceivable that inhaled nanoparticles enter the olfactory nerve and are transported to the brain along the axons" It says nanoparticles. Not sure nano carbon is included in it.
ggm 7y ago
Even dirty coal is possibly better than dirty diesel and petrol. Yes, its dirty: what kind of remediation can be done in a centralized generator, compared to distributed catalytic converters in exhaust (which fail in service, or are not fitted) and a huge burden in NO and related problems. Coal is bad, polluting, creates health hazards and we need to get rid of it. Petrol and Diesel are not "better" and there are reasons central generation may overall be net beneficial especially given the efficiency of generation, transmission losses and in-engine effects comparing ICE to EV
- Mikeb85 7y ago
  Dirty coal and the inefficiencies associated with generating electricity, then storing it in lead-acid batteries and then turning an e-rickshaw is definitely less efficient and far more polluting than autorickshaws running on CNG.
  - ggm 7y ago
    OK, I'll bite. Cite please. Include full lifecycle costs on CNG, including fracking and shipping.
    - Mikeb85 7y ago
      Here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-10-31/you-ll-need-286-pounds-of-coal-to-fuel-that-electric-road-trip https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti...
      - ggm 7y ago
        Even with all those losses, the electric vehicle road trip is still better for the climate than driving a gasoline-powered car. Burning that much coal would release about 310 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, compared with 350 kilograms by the 40 gallons of gasoline. Even though coal tends to emit more pollutants than oil for the amount of energy it generates, the efficiency of the electric vehicle, which recharges its battery with every brake, more than makes up the difference. But.. the article doesn't say "CNG is better" It just says the worst-case costs in the US, for coal sourced power to charge the batteries.
melling 7y ago
Sure. It’s easier to switch a few coal plants to gas, solar, etc than try and convince millions of people to switch to EV’s. The hard part is done. The article says the electricity is often stolen. We’ll call that market forces.
jbarham 7y ago
Reading between the lines, it seems that a major advantage of e-rickshaws is that it's easier to steal electricity to recharge them vs gas/petrol.

harryVic 7y ago

Coal power plants are more efficient than internal combustion engines. So yes, e-rickshaws are cleaner.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago
Are cleaner than CNG rickshaws?
- yoyogesh01 7y ago
  Some changes are neccesary for reform
- knowThySelfx 7y ago
  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/CNG-run-vehicles-emit-dangerous-nanocarbon-CSIR-study-finds/articleshow/48377499.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/polluti... "The compressed natural gas run buses are harmful for humans as they emit "nanocarbon" particles which can cause cancer, according to a study conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Though the study was conducted on a very limited sample size in Delhi, CSIR took the findings seriously owing to the health hazard it poses to humans and alerted the central government for further follow up, CSIR's director general Dr MO Garg said on Thursday." Could it breach Blood Brain Barrier? https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=19339.php https://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=19339.php "Another route by which nanoparticles can enter the brain is via the olfactory nerve, circumventing the blood-brain barrier. The olfactory nerve (nervus olfactorius) has a direct connection to the brain by way of its long processes (axons). It is therefore conceivable that inhaled nanoparticles enter the olfactory nerve and are transported to the brain along the axons" It says nanoparticles. Not sure nano carbon is included in it.

ggm 7y ago

Even dirty coal is possibly better than dirty diesel and petrol. Yes, its dirty: what kind of remediation can be done in a centralized generator, compared to distributed catalytic converters in exhaust (which fail in service, or are not fitted) and a huge burden in NO and related problems. Coal is bad, polluting, creates health hazards and we need to get rid of it. Petrol and Diesel are not "better" and there are reasons central generation may overall be net beneficial especially given the efficiency of generation, transmission losses and in-engine effects comparing ICE to EV

Mikeb85 7y ago
Dirty coal and the inefficiencies associated with generating electricity, then storing it in lead-acid batteries and then turning an e-rickshaw is definitely less efficient and far more polluting than autorickshaws running on CNG.
- ggm 7y ago
  OK, I'll bite. Cite please. Include full lifecycle costs on CNG, including fracking and shipping.
  - Mikeb85 7y ago
    Here: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-10-31/you-ll-need-286-pounds-of-coal-to-fuel-that-electric-road-trip https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/arti...
    - ggm 7y ago
      Even with all those losses, the electric vehicle road trip is still better for the climate than driving a gasoline-powered car. Burning that much coal would release about 310 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, compared with 350 kilograms by the 40 gallons of gasoline. Even though coal tends to emit more pollutants than oil for the amount of energy it generates, the efficiency of the electric vehicle, which recharges its battery with every brake, more than makes up the difference. But.. the article doesn't say "CNG is better" It just says the worst-case costs in the US, for coal sourced power to charge the batteries.

melling 7y ago

Sure. It’s easier to switch a few coal plants to gas, solar, etc than try and convince millions of people to switch to EV’s. The hard part is done. The article says the electricity is often stolen. We’ll call that market forces.

jbarham 7y ago

Reading between the lines, it seems that a major advantage of e-rickshaws is that it's easier to steal electricity to recharge them vs gas/petrol.