Final Submission: Summary & Reader Response on India's SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric Bus Concept from TATA

In the article “India’s SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric Bus Concept from TATA” by Stubbs (2016) states that Tata's innovative Ultra Electric bus concept has emerged to aid in India's SMART city development.

This design concept aims to shape the future of India's SMART city and to be an iconic public transport that symbolises modern India smart city. It also aims to give users a memorable experience while taking public transport.

It says that there are two key considerations in the design appearance of the bus.  First, the appearance of the bus has to reflect that it is fully electric by creating a striking identity of India’s SMART city. Second, the bus has to reflect that it is an intelligent mode of transport by collaborating iconography from electronic products, using bold graphics and colors, making it instantly recognisable.

It also mentions that Tata has also developed a graphic, using Indian architecture to make the bus as an icon of India.

While I agree with the article that Tata’s ultra electric bus concept shapes the future of India’s modern SMART city, however, I do believe that a SMART city is not just about design, but is also about environmental sustainability which comprises of an environmentally friendly city and saving maintenance costs of buses.

Firstly, the electric bus is environmentally friendly as it uses electric power instead of diesel which results in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (Aber, 2016). The use of drive motors and power converters for the electric buses, as well as the necessary external charging stations could be a highly efficient complete solution for electric buses (Siemens, 2016). Also, the electric bus improves the air quality in cities and thus the quality of air for the inhabitants (Siemens, 2016). Stubb’s article touches on the design aspect of the electric bus and could have reinforce on the development of the modern india’s SMART city by discussing the positive impacts that the electric buses have on the air quality environment in the cities.

Secondly, the reason that the ultra electric bus concept would be successful as it generates more revenue by saving maintenance costs. According to Aber, the bus costs, the operating costs over the 12-year life of a bus, the $39,000 annual savings associated with fuel cost (diesel or CNG vs. electricity) and bus maintenance cost more than offsets the higher cost of electric buses. Stubbs’s article discusses about the benefits that the electric bus will bring to the people of India in terms of the features like Wi-Fi and charging points. More importantly, it is clear that the long term cost savings such as the maintenance costs of having an electric bus over a diesel bus would benefit the people of India with regards to paying lower bus fares. This would eventually lead to the people of India to give their full support on India's SMART city development plan as it also benefits them in the long term.

In conclusion, while Stubbs’s article highlights the key features of the electric bus which aims to symbolise modern India’s SMART city, it is more important to discuss about the positive impacts and long term benefits of having electric buses that would lead to an environmentally friendly and cost savings for the people of India.

References

Siemens (2016, August 17). Fully electric city buses for environmentally friendly short-haul transport.

Retrieved from http://www.siemens.com/press/en/feature/2013/infrastructure-cities/rail-systems/2013-07-ebus.php?content[]=MO

Judah Aber (2016, May 31). Going Electric Adds up to a Good Idea for NYC Buses. Retrieved from http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2016/05/31/going-electric-adds-up-to-a-good-idea-for-nyc-buses/