I love new innovations especially in engineering, seeing these new technologies makes me happy, that somehow the world progressing towards a better future.  That being said, I do want to share some new innovations that recently made me smile, and hope they make you smile or get inspired too. 

Around the world, or Asia more specifically, there are vehicles called “Tuk-Tuks” Or alternatively known “auto rickshaws”. Previously these asian staples were prevalent sources of carbon emissions in countries such as India and Thailand. In both cases they are forms of cheap public transport. When I’m in these countries I see them everywhere on the streets and some even have the iconic smog that trails behind. These pollutant fumes are the byproduct the twin engines that make up the tuktuk. Combine that fact with the severely congested roads of New Delhi/Bangkok, only exaggerates the necessity to come up with solutions to this problem. In fact there is one idea in New Delhi that is slowly growing in prevalence: electric tuk tuks. Electric Tuk tuks is not an inventive idea, however the accessor that comes with these electric vehicles is interesting, however it can also be interpreted as controversial. 

The implemented idea is what is known as “cloud-connected” swappable batteries that are dispensed from “vending machines” throughout India. These electric Tuk Tuks are clean and quiet in contrast to their gas guzzling counterparts, and the process in which to recharge them seems simple though be it from an outsider's perspective. When the Tuk Tuk is running low on battery all they have to do is pass by a battery vending machine and swap their battery for a new one, effectively charging the Tuktuk fully. This almost seems like an idea that is too good to be true. Though the environmental benefits are clear, there are negatives. Firstly, the reason this idea hasn’t succeeded in other countries is due to the lack of public infrastructure in these countries. Battery vending machines need to be built and the wait times for charging the Tuk tuks take a long period of time, leading to lengthy lines of drivers waiting for their vehicles to charge. More time needs to be taken to improve the technology of these batteries for them to achieve success. Living in the Philippines, where the Jeepney is the prevalent mode of transportation, I hope to see a rechargeable battery system like this developed in the near future. I believe that the introduction of such a network would reduce direct carbon emissions greatly. However, where the energy used to charge these batteries need to be taken into account, in particular, whether the harnessing of energy is renewable. 

I believe that these forms of transportation are undoubtedly the bedrock of developing countries such as India, Nepal, or the Philippines, both culturally and systematically. Therefore, these iconic vehicles will not be phased out anytime soon which means innovation must take precedent. Innovation, in this case, might possibly be these batteries, on a local, or even a global scale. 

Source: