Editorial

The manifestation of the Omnipotent in three contrasting personalities termed as Brahma – the Creator, Vishnu – the Sustainer, and Shiva – the Destroyer, becoming relevant at different periods of time in the life-cycle of an entity had its roots in the ancient Vedic/Hindu philosophy that is thought to have been conceptualized during the period 1500-500 BC. It is puzzling that in such a remote past when organized science hardly existed, such a compelling insight could have been realized, especially when applied to the solar system we live in. This timeless belief is a chilling reminder of what modern science with it all its might has come to discover: that the Mother Earth was created around 4.6 billion years ago, will sustain human habitation perhaps for another 1 billion years, until turning into a furnace in 4 billion years, and likely getting destroyed by being engulfed by the sun in about 7.5 billion years from now. As things stand currently, there is very little that the Homo sapiens can do to arrest or circumvent the anticipated fateful astronomical eventualities. The struggle for survival, for humans, is of course of much nearer term. Much before the life-sapping environmental changes mentioned above can take place, there are prospects of the earth getting hit by giant asteroids, or be confronted with artificially-induced degradation of the atmosphere by excessive release of  greenhouse gases due to human activities such as fossil fuel burning. The latter, as is well known, can lead to catastrophic climate changes. As conventional mobility systems are primarily powered by combustion engines which breathe in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide, and with their numbers being constantly on the rise, their potential for adverse effects on ecology is not in much doubt. Simultaneously, the emissions from tail pipes of such contemporary vehicles are a severe health hazard especially in urban areas of high traffic density. Additionally, a major expenditure of many countries is associated with mineral oil export, and these countries are also greatly vulnerable to fluctuations in oil production or price, and disruptions in supply-chain as well as shipment of the same (i.e. refined or crude oil) due to unexpected events such as wars. It is in this backdrop that an urgency has been felt by regions and countries around the world to switch to zero emission battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), thereby digging the grave of IC (Internal Combustion) engines.    The above sought-after transition, as we all know, has hardly been smooth. A complete shift to EVs has been a moving target for some of the powerful European policymakers. The question here is: can IC engines be blamed for the seemingly unsustainable predicament that we are in? After all, it may not be wrong to say that nature adores IC engines. Humans themselves are among the most sophisticated embodiment of such propulsion systems with food and water being the fuel, which is converted to carbon dioxide (that is breathed out) and energy after going through complex chemical processes in the presence of oxygen (that is breathed in). Nature, of course, planned an ecological balance by ensuring that another vital form of life viz. vegetation consumes substantive carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen in the presence of water and sunlight through a process called as photosynthesis. Thus, the over-use of hydrocarbon-hungry IC engines coupled with the fact that there is no end-use of the excess carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere is the real culprit which, at least in part, is threatening to cause global warming and associated ill-effects such as excessive rainfall and flooding in some areas, and drought-type conditions elsewhere. A drawback that humans, often zealous for ever-increasing wealth and prosperity, suffer from is ignoring cues which already exist. Consider for instance, railway mobility. In this sector of mass transportation system which is a significant lifeline for commuting in many parts of the world including India, EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) trains have been in operation for circular city and suburban travel already for decades. The carriages in such trains are directly propelled by motors which draw electricity from overhead traction cables. Most long distance trains today, on the other hand, are powered by fully electric zero-emission locomotives which again are powered by overhead electric cables. In all these cases, the success of eco-friendly electric mobility has been due to the availability of uninterrupted electrical energy, and the fact that the vehicles run on tracks and fixed routes. There are, however, exceptions to the rule in areas with challenging terrains such as hilly routes and remote locations which are less traversed making laying of overhead electric cables as either not feasible or economically unviable. Such routes are served by trains pulled by powerful hybrid diesel-electric locomotives. The EV-aspirant automotive industry can take a leaf out of the railway transportation system to ensure its success. It is noted that the desire for sustenance is often governed by an indomitable spirit which converts destruction to a means for mere transformation, just as the belief that soul does not die and transmigrates from one body on its death to another. For an automobile, this is a reality already as wise and responsible automotive design community ensures that a vehicle is made almost entirely of recyclable materials which can be reused after a vehicle reaches its end-of-life. Nevertheless, challenges remain to be overcome in lightweighting vehicles such that they are as energy-friendly as possible throughout their operational existence. Another area which is crying for attention is the issue of highly incompatible road-users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger cars and SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and buses, and even large commercial vehicles: all competing with each other with scant regard for lanes, and frequently indulging in unsafe maneuvering resulting in a cocktail of crashes with serious injuries and fatalities. It remains to be seen whether human inadequacies which can be due to sheer ignorance, vested interests, political compulsions, etc. can be overcome through semi-autonomous interventions and innovations in the form of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for making roads as safe as they can be.   The ARAI Journal of Mobility Technology, a fair and Open Access forum with no APC (Article Process Charge), has set for itself lofty goals and esoteric responsibilities with a spirit of service which is second to no other journal’s in the area of mobility technology which is often a driver for the economic well-being of a region or a country. The author of this piece is confident that original and trend-setting publications addressing relevant mobility-related issues some of which are mentioned in the foregoing will continue to appear in this journal. ARAI, the founders of the journal along with the Editor, the supporting staff, the authors, the editorial board members as well as reviewers, and last but not the least the readers and subscribers deserve appreciation beyond words for their lasting contribution for furthering the cause of Mobility Technology in India and globally.