Petrolicious

Back in 2002, petrol used to cost Rs. 30 a litre. Now, it was almost triple that figure at Rs. 80.  Taking into account the cost price of petrol includes the procuring, refining, marketing plus central and state tax, the International crude price ( which is dictated by supply and demand), government policies, financial institutions and geopolitics means that there are way too many factors that govern how much I “shell” out at the gas station. Global prices are on the rise, and with crude once hitting $100 / barrel in the past, the government can’t keep subsidising such high prices. The poor consumer has the choice of either filling up or taking a hike. Literally.

So, what’s the alternative?

Diesel is cheaper by about  Rs.10, but there are no diesel powered motorcycles out there, and 71 % of non-transport vehicles in this country are motorcycles  ( a mechanical Engineer once told me the engine compression would have to be so high that you would break your leg trying to kick start that ). Anyway, those engines are crude, noisy, bone jarring and emit obnoxious fumes. Besides, I don’t like Diesel Engines. Diesel is for tractors.

I don’t think electric is the future, at least not now, simply because an 18-hour recharge for a 35-mile trip is not feasible. Secondly, Electricity costs are so high in this state, it would cost you less to take your SUV to for the Supermarket run.

Yes, there are no greenhouse gases produced in an electric motor, but how is that electricity produced in the first place? Our Government is still highly reliant coal and gas to power our grids. And I really don’t like the idea of replacing the aural magnificence of a V-12 with the insipid “whirrs and clicks” of a brushless stator DC coil. 99 % of petrol heads out there would agree with me.  Then there’s solar power, which is still in its nascent stage. The technology cannot currently power a vehicle directly, but can be used to extend the range of an electric vehicle by charging the batteries. Did I mention that Solar Powered vehicles use paper for body panels.Then we have Ethanol. That’s Alcohol to you and me. Car engines can be designed to run on a blend of gasoline (petrol) and Ethanol, or on pure Ethanol. This alternate fuel has attracted a lot of attention because it is considered a renewable resource, easily obtained from sugar or starch in crops and other agricultural produce such as grain, sugarcane, sugar beets or even lactose. Brazil already has a fleet of 14.8 million flex-fuel automobiles and light trucks and 1.5 million flex-fuel motorcycles that regularly use neat ethanol fuel (known as E100).

This would be the perfect fuel to power our over congested and polluted roads. There’s no shortage of production of booze in this country and our fuel prices are soaring through the roof. It would cut driving costs in half, overnight. Imagine driving down to your local pub and refueling your ride with a couple of Long Island Ice Teas. Sounds interesting. And it would give a whole new meaning to Driving Under The Influence. I just hope our Government doesn’t give us a massive hang over by heavily taxing this new fuel.

Cheers.