TOPIC OF THE DAY:-“Electric horses”
After a century of spectacular growth powered by the internal combustion engine, the automobile industry is taking a serious look at moving away from fossil fuels, with cars, bikes and commercial vehicles powered by electricity. This quest for electro mobility has surged ahead with Volvo, the Sweden based manufacturer owned by China’s Geely, announcing a shift to all-electric or hybrid models from 2019. At the heart of the discussion is the affordability of e-vehicles (EVs) and the range they can cover on a single battery charge, if they are to become an attractive replacement for conventional motors. There is also the question of the sustainability of making millions of batteries that must be recycled. Progress is being made on some of these metrics, as a result of which the sales of all plug-in vehicles rose 40%, at 191,700 units worldwide, in the first quarter of 2017 over the same quarter in 2016. And the International Energy Agency says in its Global EV Outlook Report 2017 that the year-on-year growth was 60%. But in perspective, electric vehicles today make up only 0.2% of all light duty vehicles in the world. What is enlivening the debate on EVs is the entry of Tesla, with its goal to mass-market electric cars that are efficient on range, and offer a minimum of 340 km on one charge, while also scoring high on design. As the single biggest component in making electro mobility mainstream, attention is focussed on battery technology. If Tesla’s assessment is correct, the technological limits of this power source are being pushed constantly: less material is being used to produce higher energy density, and at lower cost. Unsurprisingly, many major automobile manufacturers have announced plans for electrics to cater to both ends of the spectrum: marques like BMW and Volkswagen aiming at several affordable models with a moderate range per charge, and luxury cars from Daimler and Audi that run longer and appeal to keen buyers. Electromobility is also politically attractive. France, which floated a global tender at the 2015 Paris climate conference for a mass market car that costs under €7,000, announced recently that it will end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040. India, which committed to reducing the intensity of carbon emissions under the climate agreement, could give electro mobility a boost through its policy on EVs to be declared by December. Making electric two-wheelers and public transport buses attractive through tax incentives is certainly feasible, since these can be charged more easily and used for short trips within cities. The wider challenge today is to find the natural resources such as lithium, cobalt and nickel to make millions of batteries and recycle them later, besides putting up charging infrastructure across entire countries. The solutions are currently expensive. By contrast, the dilemma underscores the elegance of low-cost non-motorised options for cities, such as bicycles and walking.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Ascendant
Meaning: Increasingly successful or powerful.
Synonym: Flourishing, Developing
Antonym: Declining
Example: Jackie chan is very much in the ascendant in Hollywood.
2) Coalesce
Meaning: Come or grow together to form one thing or system.
Synonym: Combine, Merge
Example: The creamy-white, rounded edge of the approaching clouds came and coalesced, spread and mushroomed.
3) Castigate
Meaning: To criticize someone or something severely.
Synonym: Rebuke, Reprove
Antonym: Praise, Commend
Example: Health inspectors castigated the kitchen staff for poor standards of cleanliness.
4) Consensus
Meaning: A generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people.
Synonym: Agreement, Concurrence
Antonym: Disagreement
Example: The general consensus in the office is that he can’t do his job.
5) Contours
Meaning: The shape of a mass of land or other object, especially its surface or the shape formed by its outer edge.
Synonym: Outline, Shape
Example: He studied the contours of her face.
6) Indeed
Meaning: Really or certainly, often used to emphasize something.
Synonym: Truly, Extremely
Antonym: Moderately, Slightly
Example: We live in strange times indeed.
7) Concern
Meaning: To cause worry to someone.
Synonym: Treat, Involve
Antonym: Serenity, Indifference
Example: The state of my father’s health concerns us greatly.
8) Ally
Meaning: A country that has agreed officially to give help and support to another one, especially during a war; someone who helps and supports someone else.
Synonym: Associate, Combine
Antonym: Enemy, Split
Example: Cuba became an ally of the Soviet Union in the 1950s.
9) Flutter
Meaning: To make a series of quick delicate movements up and down or from side to side, or to cause something to do this.
Synonym: Hover, Thrash
Example: Butterflies fluttered about in the sunshine.
10) Surged
Meaning: A sudden and great increase or movement forward.
Synonym: Rush, Flow
Example: An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash.
11) Enlivening
Meaning: To make something more interesting.
Synonym: Uplift, Gladden
Antonym: Detract from, Subdue
Example: The game was much enlivened when both teams scored within five minutes of each other.
12) Feasible
Meaning: Able to be made, done, or achieved
Synonym: Practicable, Achievable
Antonym: Impractical, Impossible
Example: With the extra resources, the project now seems feasible.
13) Elegance
Meaning: Graceful and attractive in appearance or behaviour.
Synonym: Style, Smoothness
Antonym: Inelegance, Messiness
Example: This is a fine building of elegant proportions.
