Innovative Electric Tiller Launched by CSIR-CMERI for Small Farmers to Reduce Operational Cost by 80%

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) recently launched an innovative Electric Tiller. The launch event took place in Durgapur and was unveiled by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, the Director General of CSIR and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

The Electric Tiller is designed to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution, particularly aimed at empowering small farmers. It promises to revolutionize sustainable agriculture in India by potentially reducing operational expenses by up to 85%. This could significantly alleviate the financial burdens of small-scale farmers, who represent over 80% of India’s farming community.

Tillers are essential tools in agriculture that contribute to increased productivity and improved crop yields by efficiently preparing the soil, managing weeds and residues, and enhancing the overall soil structure and fertility.

The Electric Tiller launched by CSIR-CMERI is environmentally friendly, producing zero exhaust emissions and operating quietly, which aligns with India's goal of achieving net-zero emissions. It also offers user-centric features like battery pack swapping and multiple charging options, including AC and Solar DC charging. The tiller can be integrated with various standard agricultural attachments and comes equipped with a 2-inch water pump and a trolley attachment capable of carrying up to 500 kg, enhancing its versatility for different farming activities.

This launch marks a significant step towards modernizing agriculture and supporting the nation's small and marginal farmers with advanced technology.

After E-Mobility, India's Next Target is Cooking by Electricity - Power Minister

Power Minister R K Singh on Monday said India will eventually be an electricity-based economy, as the nation is embarking on power usage for running vehicles and cooking food.

"The entire power sector is going through change and this change will continue. We want to electrify our whole economy. The energy would be through electricity rather than through petroleum products or other forms of energy," Singh said at a function to mark 10 years of state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) here.

The minister said, "Besides mobility, the next target would be cooking by electricity. So, we will electrify the economy and make electricity green (generation through renewable). Those are our long-term goals."

EESL, a joint venture of public sector undertakings under the power ministry, has completed 10 years of scaling up energy efficiency programmes in India and globally.

Established in 2009 to unlock the potential of energy efficiency, initiatives implemented by EESL have cumulatively led to energy savings of over 58 billion kWh (units) and a reduction of over 46 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions across the globe.

In its 10 years, EESL has had an exponential growth, with offices spread across India, the UK, Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

EESL's revenue has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 114.96 per cent from Rs 26 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 2,565 crore in 2018-19. With its rapid growth, EESL now aims to become a Rs 10,000-crore company in the next three years.

Lauding the business models provided by EESL to promote energy efficiency on the occasion, Singh said, "Business model, that is what works. You can have subsidy models. I have found through experience that the subsidy model does not work as well as a business model. That is what EESL brought in energy efficiency. The business model made it possible to replace agriculture (water) pumps with energy-efficient pumps."

The minister announced successful installation of 10 lakh smart meters across India, under the government's Smart Meter National Programme (SMNP). These smart meters, operational in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Bihar, aim to bring efficiency in the distribution system leading to better service delivery.

He also announced commissioning of 100-megawatt (MW) cumulative capacity decentralised solar power plants connected to agriculture feeders.

The capacity of these solar power plants, in each substation, ranges from 0.5 MW to 10 MW. The decentralised solar plants cater to the requirements of farmers connected to the respective agriculture feeder daily, by means of reliable day-time electricity.

The minister also launched the dashboards of SMNP, National Electric Mobility Programme (NEMP) and solar initiatives to transparently monitor the real-time progress of the programmes and its impact.

He also launched an integrated mobile application, EK EESL, where all the dashboards of all the programmes being implemented by EESL will be accessible and anyone can monitor their real-time progress.

In the context of the NEMP, he highlighted that the electric vehicles deployed by EESL have completed 2 crore cumulative kilometers.

EESL and the Provincial Energy Authority, Ministry of Interior, Royal Thai Government, signed a pact during the event for long-term cooperation and collaboration to advance the implementation and deployment of energy efficiency measures at small and medium enterprises in Thailand.

Energy Efficiency Services Ltd spearheaded and implemented the zero-subsidy Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) programme by distributing over 36.16 crore LED bulbs and Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) by retrofitting over 1.06 crore street lights with LEDs.

Under the Buildings Energy Efficiency Programme, EESL has completed projects in 10,344 buildings, including railway stations and airports.

Implementing the Agriculture Demand-Side Management (AgDSM), EESL has installed over 73,800 pumps in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Under the NEMP, till date, 1,510 e-cars have been deployed or under registration. For charging e-cars, 300 AC and 170 DC captive chargers have also been commissioned and 68 public charging points are currently operational in Delhi-NCR.

Tesla Reveals Futuristic Electric Pickup Truck 'Cybertruck' at $39,000

Tesla just revealed their futuristic 'Cybertruck' -- a new electric pickup truck designed to look like a sports car. With a single motor, the Cybertruck has acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in of 6.5 seconds of time. The electric pickup truck will have a price tag starting at $39,900 and is planned to be launched in late 2021, according to Tesla’s website.

Cybertruck is built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection. Starting with a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, every component is designed for superior strength and endurance, from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin to Tesla armor glass. According to Tesla website, Cybertruck is the most powerful tool ever built by the comnpany, engineered with 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage — including a magic tonneau cover that is strong enough to stand on.

While the base version of the Cybertruck, with a single motor, will start at $39,900, the dual motor will bear a price tag of $49,000 that can tow 10,000 pounds ( ~ 4535 Kg) and reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, with 300 miles of range. And the top of the line variant, starting at $69,900, will go more than 500 miles between charges, hit 60 mph in under 60 seconds, tow up to 14,000 pounds (~ 6350 Kg), and start production in late 2022.

While debuting the truck onstage, Elon Musk asked Tesla’s lead designer, Franz von Holzhausen, to showcase the truck’s "Armor Glass" by throwing a metal ball at the driver window and it cracked !. Musk asked Holzhausen to throw the ball at the passenger window, and That cracked too !.



LAUNCH VIDEO [~ CNET]



Sources - ProductHunt | Wired |

This startup could become the Tesla of electric motorcycles

While biking might not be that famous a sport among the current generation right now, a California-based startup Alta Motors is working towards bringing the trend back.

It has been nine years since the year 2007 that the company has been meticulously working towards introducing the ultimate enthusiast bike to the American market, and the product is, at last, is now almost ready to be unveiled.
Named Redshift, the company's first electric motorcycle, is all set to roll out deliveries in Fall this year. Apparently, it has already back-ordered 13 weeks.



According to a statement given by Mark Fenigstein, Alta Motors co-founder and CEO, to a tech magazine, the consumer demand for electric motorcycles really escalated when Tesla became hip and popular. This is when Fenigstein decided to follow the road taken by Tesla, and try becoming an Industry leader in the electric motorcycle market.

Fenigstein believes that it was Tesla that become a trendsetter in the electric transport market and broke the ice with the public regarding the technology, and inspired other players in the market to also take the plunge.

Unfortunately, the scene wasn't the same always. A few years ago, consumers had almost shut themselves away from the idea of ever warming up to the idea of electric bikes. But over the years, the pollution crisis, major advancements in battery technology and consumers growing liking for electric vehicles, have helped these e-motorbikes become an attractive option for personal transport.

Performance

If for once you're thinking, being an electric one, these bikes won't able to deliver you an experience that you want on the road, you're mistaken. According to Fenigstein, Alta's Redshift bikes have been designed so as to provide the riders with as much control as they would need over their bikes. With Redshift bikes, Alta aims to help riders progress as a more confident and faster motorist.

The Redshift bikes are strong enough to handle both motocross jumps and potholes. Similar to Tesla's first car, the Roadster, Alta's Redshift has the potential to become the first of a wider range of electric motorcycles. But, for now, the startup is only focused on making Redshift reach to the customers. Currently, the RedShift SM sells for $15,495 and RedShift MX for $15,000.

Manufactured in California

Quite similar to Tesla, Alta also has its own factory based in California. According to Fenigstein, having its base in Northern California is a strategic business decision at the company's end.

Fenigstein further divulged that the close proximity of Alta's San Francisco headquarters to the factory is crucial for company's R&D department and the fast development and manufacturing speed that the company aims to maintain. In addition to this, it also allows the company's engineering team to be in contact with the manufacturing team in real-time, which results in better construction of bikes.

Powerful Battery

According to the company, their bike's battery is about 80 percent or five years ahead of the time in terms of range per pound. This means, the company is successfully able to fit more battery capacity into a lighter and smaller unit.

Apparently, the company's motor is much powerful when compared to others. It is about half the size of any state of the art 40 horsepower electric motor.

Tesla co-founders as investors

In addition to all the operational and technological similarities that we have already explained in the article between Tesla and Alta Motors, there's another similarity that one cannot ignore.

The company has found strong backing in two Tesla co-founders, Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarppening in terms of investment. Both Eberhard and Tarppening had a significant role to play in Tesla's finance and craft during its early days.