Birmingham City University to aid Kerala in finding solutions for e-vehicle challenges
Jenny Harding, interim director, Research and Innovation, and Makhan Singh, senior partnership manager, are the other members of the team.
KOCHI: Kerala will get a boost in the expertise from Birmingham City University (BCU) with the latter agreeing to help the state by providing sustainable solutions for challenges in various sectors, including education and transport, to help Kerala’s march towards progress. A three-member delegation led by Bernard Curren, assistant director of enterprise, BCU, has been invited by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to expedite the university’s role in sectors where their research findings can be implemented.
Jenny Harding, interim director, Research and Innovation, and Makhan Singh, senior partnership manager, are the other members of the team. The delegation spoke to Express on the sidelines of ‘Evolve’ e-expo which concluded on June 30.
“Our partnership with the state government is mainly on knowledge sharing in various sectors. We both have the same mission in supporting electric vehicles. The team has received many inputs from various stakeholders on current challenges of the sector. After a thorough discussion with university experts, we will provide necessary recommendations to the government,” said Curren.
The delegation also praised the state for coming out to promote e-mobility. “Chief Minister coming all the way to Birmingham for holding a discussion with us shows the government’s commitment to the policy. Solar-powered Cochin airport shows the state is moving ahead of others in the world. With such a reformative event and discussions, Kerala is moving in the right direction to achieve its target set for the future,” said Singh.
The university pushes for magnesium to manufacture lightweight vehicles for future. “Current manufacturers are using carbon fibre and plastics which are not going to help us. We are creating a legacy in environmental impact by pushing magnesium which is 100 per cent recyclable,” he said.
Challenges ahead
The biggest challenge of the change will be taking two-wheelers into the electric sphere. “The one million EVs will kickstart a transition of 70 per cent of total vehicles of the state. As passengers already made a major investment in petrol motorcycles which can run for 20 years, Kerala needs to convince them through economically-viable and innovative EV vehicles,” Curren said. As per the team, the transition requires a cost-discipline approach with many people working towards a common goal.
Source : newindianexpress
