Srinivas Krishnan :Everything you want to know about ADV News, Photos & Exclusive stories.

Those who know about such things tell me that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is running out of steam. The entertainment world is threatened because the money-making machine that powers it has started to wobble. This cannot happen. Otherwise, people will read books, commune with Mother Nature, talk to each other and start having intelligent thoughts.

Fret not, help is at hand. I believe the root of the MCU’s problems is that it’s running out of original superheroes and supervillains with truly unbelievable superpowers. That apart, their existing characters are all Western, with a token brown or yellow face. Not acceptable. With the thrust on Make In India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the need for localisation influencing policy changes, why should products from Hollywood be untouched? Shouldn’t the MCU incorporate a few distinctive Indian characters with an impressive array of real-life superpowers that we can relate to? Sure, but where can they be found? India’s roads, of course!&nbsp;

<h2>Sikander Fate aka The Oncomer</h2>

Superpower: Can drive or ride against hordes of oncoming vehicles of all sizes and speeds, like in a video game. Slaloms through unsuspecting pedestrians who are looking the other way. He does that sometimes even while talking on a cellphone stuck between the ear and the shoulder. He is capable of driving on the wrong side of the road in any vehicle, mind you.

<img alt="Sikander Fate" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/10/Sikander-Fate.jpg" width="1280" />

Bonus superpower: He’s invisible only to policemen.

Backstory: He is angry because he is a misfit; no one appreciates his right-side driving skills in a left-side driving land. Has humble beginnings. Needs to save every drop of fuel or every microsecond of time even at the expense of hospitalisation or death, his or others’. Steps out of home every day with the hope that either he’s never going to come back or will make sure someone else doesn’t. Taking shortcuts is his only reason to live… or not to live.

Appearance: Wears a delivery boy costume while riding. While driving, looks like you or me or even a truck driver.

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Signature dialogue: Kuch hua kya?

<h2>Awaaz Bahadur aka The Horner</h2>

Superpower: Has incredible skills with the vehicle horn, sometimes dexterously plays it like a musical instrument. Using it, the Horner targets his victims’ amygdala – the stress detection area in the brain – which reacts rather badly inside the host and proceeds to cause not only deafness or tinnitus, but also gives them high blood pressure, insomnia, headache, dizziness and more.&nbsp;

<img alt="Awaaz Bahadur" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/10/Awaaz-Bahadur.jpg" width="1280" />

Bonus superpower: He is a silent killer but is anything but silent. Victims don’t even realise they’re affected… Deadly!

Backstory: Awaaz Bahadur always felt ignored. He believed traffic signals, the toll booth boom, the vehicles in front… heck, even the open roads ignore him. He grew up thinking no one gave him any attention. To get to his destination, he has always struggled to push people aside to make way for him. And the poor thing, no one even understood that his time was more important than anyone else’s. 
&nbsp; 
Appearance: Highly deceptive. Looks as if he has functional eyes, but they don’t work.

Signature dialogue: He has some kickass lines, but no one can hear them in the din.

<h2>Trinetra Kalakar aka Screenivas</h2>

Superpower: He has a third eye! Unlike conventional third eyes that are located on the forehead between the eyebrows, this superhuman has one on top of his forehead. It allows him to drive without taking his eyes off the cellphone screen! Not to be confused with other similarly named mediocre characters (including this columnist), Screenivas is a visionary… of sorts.&nbsp;

<img alt="Trinetra Kalakar" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/10/Trinetra-Kalakar.jpg" width="1280" />

Bonus superpower: Amazing powers of concentration. If distracted driving is worse than driving under the influence, streaming mind-numbing screechy shows – be it news channels or the saas-bahu variety – while driving is an extraordinary superpower by itself. Near misses do not faze him.

Backstory: As a child, Trinetra Kalakar heavily consumed ‘content’ as it is fashionably known nowadays. First the big screen, then as he became older, the TV screen and now the cellphone screen. As one would expect, he had a massive crash one day and ploughed headlong right into some garbage left uncleared by the municipality that had turned radioactive over time. This incident rearranged his optic nerves a bit inside his skull, which had anyway turned to mush owing to all the stuff he’d been watching. His regular eyes got glued to the screen, while a new third eye developed on the top of his forehead.

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&nbsp; 
Appearance: You can’t see his face! However, Screenivas is rapidly metamorphosing into a new superhuman avatar called Guerilla Glazz… But that character will have to wait for the sequel.

Signature dialogue: Dekhta hoon tere ko.

The MCU can liberally borrow from the IRU (Indian Road Universe), as there are many more superhumans out there. Let me know if you’ve spotted any, or if you think we need more of these characters to be unleashed on the world. Happy watching!

Disclaimer: The images were generated using AI

Superhero Characters Inspired by Indian Roads!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be getting jaded. To get its mojo back, Srini recommends some unbelievable superhuman characters – inspired by Indian roads!

‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.’ I didn’t say that, Yogi Berra did. Not to be confused with any of India’s famous yogis, Berra was an American baseball player who was as good with his witty one-liners as his exploits on the field. To avoid going somewhere we don’t intend, we need to know where the world is going with EVs. The BloombergNEF Electric Vehicle Outlook 2024 (BNEF EVO24), which came out in June this year, provides a good indication of where we’re headed.

To start with, it says that EV markets worldwide are not travelling in the same direction or at the same speed. Also, EV adoption, as we already know in India, varies across segments. While China aggressively scouts for new markets, as its domestic production capacity reaches a glut, other markets are pushing back to avoid becoming dumping grounds – protectionist measures are inevitable

The world is running out of time to attain net-zero emissions in road transport as committed, and EVs continue to remain the most cost-effective and commercially viable route to full decarbonisation of transport. So policymakers should not lose focus

The growth rate for EVs is slower than before, but volumes are set to rise from 13.9 million to over 30 million by 2027. Over the next four years, electric car sales are expected to grow at an average of 21% per year (it was 61% between 2020 and 2023)

Many automakers are recalibrating (downwards) their electrification targets, especially for the near-term, as they are unable to manufacture EVs at costs comparable to ICE. Yet, other automakers are doubling down on their EV commitments and achieving results

Technology for EVs continues to get better and cheaper, with many more low-cost EV models coming up over the next few years. The fastest growth rates are in emerging economies like India, with EV sales expected to triple by 2027

EVs will get more affordable with improvements in technology, especially with commercialisation of next-generation batteries. Battery prices fell by 90% over the last decade, and will continue due to lower raw-material prices, manufacturing advances and yes, overcapacity

In commercial vehicles, the electrification of light-duty vehicles is well underway globally, especially so in China, South Korea and in some European countries. Because of their economics, eLCVs will be one-third of sales by 2030. Adoption of electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be shaped by new environmental policies. But city buses will continue to be electrified at a rapid pace, and are expected to account for over 60% share by 2030

Of all the categories of EVs, three-wheelers are on track to achieve zero emissions by 2050 – that too without policy intervention. Both electric two- and three-wheeler sales will continue to rise in emerging economies. But globally, they contribute to less than 1% and 5% to CO2 emissions respectively

There is over-investment in battery-cell manufacturing. According to EVO24, planned lithium-ion cell manufacturing capacity by end-2025 is over five times the 1.5TWh global battery demand expected that year

Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries are emerging winners. Improvements in LFP technology, like superfast charging, cold temperature performance and higher densities are making them more attractive. Within the next two years, 50% of passenger EVs are expected to run on LFP battery tech. China, of course, is leading the charge

The EVO24 has also highlighted three themes. One is that plug-in hybrids are making a comeback, but this could be a temporary trend. According to BNEF, PHEVs are driven in electric mode between 11% and 54% depending on the country and owner type. They say that if PHEVs end up displacing BEV sales and are not using their electric potential, it will add to oil demand

The second theme is that EVs are racking up more kilometres than ICE on an annual basis, especially in countries that have adopted them early. In China, for instance, EVs are travelling 66% more than their ICE counterparts. The report says that automakers have an opportunity to develop their product portfolio for high-mileage drivers, as this is a signal that EVs are in demand for these users

There is overcapacity in battery-cell manufacturing in China, which is contributing to lower battery prices. What’s more, their planned battery production capacity is seven times the expected demand in 2026. This could translate to more cheap Chinese electric cars too. There will be a global fallout of this as other countries and non-Chinese EV makers will find it a challenge to localise their respective supply chains.

‘No matter where you go, there you are.’ Yes, Yogi Berra again. Hope this helps. &nbsp;

Srinivas Krishnan Opinion-What’s the future of EVs

What’s the future of EVs? Srini distills some key information from the BloombergNEF Electric Vehicle Outlook 2024 to keep you in the know…

Georgia. The country, not the American state. Yes, the one living under the shadow of Vlad the Putin. I visited it recently on holiday and was affected by the anarchy and the weirdness of Georgia’s automotive culture to write about it here. In the ten days I lived in the Caucasian country, I crisscrossed it from east to west and went from the Russian border in the north to close to the Turkish border in the west. I drove over major highways, main roads, mountain sections, city roads, and more. The road quality is brilliant in some places, and, in others, I felt right at home – because they looked as if the maintenance was outsourced to the Mumbai municipal corporation.

Georgia is uniquely located as it borders Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This places it right at the crossroads connecting all these countries. You get lumbering truck traffic on the international highways, transporting oil from Russia and machinery from Turkey. If you have a truck fetish, this is the place to be. You can salivate over giant DAF, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Ford, Scania and MAN heavies of all colours and vintages. You would also see Sinotruk Howo trucks, helping the Chinese companies and Chinese labourers build Georgia’s road infrastructure. Of course, as Georgia was part of the Soviet Union, there are the purposeful Kamaz trucks which are new, nasty-looking GAZ trucks of the Cold War era and handsome ZILs of an earlier vintage. In fact, in some houses in the countryside, these ancient ZILs are parked as if it’s the family runabout you’d take to go into town to buy provisions.

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The car scene is bizarre. The country’s biggest export commodity is used cars – a business worth nearly a billion dollars a year – and its neighbouring countries and the ‘Stans take in a lot of these cars. Oh, and the locals too prefer driving these used cars as it is a lot cheaper than buying new ones. How does that manifest on the roads? Crazy. Georgia is an LHD country, but it picks up used RHD cars from Japan or Australia. So it can get a bit mental on the roads as many locals drive RHD cars in an LHD country.

Georgia takes in an enormous number of used cars from Europe, the US and Japan and has an army of mechanics and garages who work on these cars and re-export to Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan at a neat premium. Many of the cars are absorbed by the locals who take their own time to repair them. So they drive around in cars without bumpers, with fenders missing or wearing huge gashes. Virtually every other car looks like it has emerged from a recent crash, especially when you are near a port. The variety of cars is therefore bewildering – ranging from dusty Lada Nivas to muscular Camaros, and tight Subaru Foresters to bulky Toyota pick-ups. And then there are the Mercs. I thought Azerbaijan was the W124 capital of the world, till I came to Georgia. Virtually the entire production of W124s and W123s have all landed up here and still being used. Also many were gathering dust in parking lots; W124 restorers back home would weep in bucketloads if they saw these. To curb emissions, the Georgian government has banned the import of pre-2013 vehicles for local use – which has led to an upward spiral in prices. Compounding the problem is that the newer cars don’t run too well on their low-quality Russian and Azerbaijani petrol. The Georgians in the car trade are pretty mad at their Government.

With such a mind-boggling variety of machines on Georgia’s roads, I expected to see Mahindra and Tata SUVs here but didn’t spot one. I am sure there is a decent market for it in the Caucasian region. The one Indian OEM you would spot here is TVS, especially in the capital Tbilisi. You can see the occasional Apache, but it is the <a href="https://www.autox.com/new-bikes/tvs/ntorq-125/">Ntorq</a>, which is everywhere – with the Wolt delivery riders enjoying the full potential of this sporty scooter. And I suspect some of the Hondas here too are made in India.

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Have you heard of the Mitsubishi Delica 4x4? These are vans (passenger or cargo) with proper four-wheel drive running gear. And Georgia is the place you come to see the third or fourth lives of these quirky vans, many of them from the 1990s. Some parts of Georgia have steep mountain roads, usually in a state of disrepair. These Delicas have found new purpose by becoming the lifeline for these locals to go up and down these rough roads. I am sure the Delica is part of the local lore or folk songs here.

Most Georgians drive like we do, which is not exactly a compliment. If you ever plan to go there, do hire a car and drive around, RHD LHD same difference. I promise you, it will be fun.

Travel Tip: Planning a Trip to Georgia? You Might Feel Right at Home

This month, Srini has a travel tip – if you plan to drive in the country of Georgia, you’ll feel right at home. And it’ll be fun…

I am writing this on the birth anniversary of modern India’s greatest son and my hero, M K Gandhi. In other words, it is the 2nd of October, and to take a lesson from him, I admit I am pretty late in submitting this to the editor of autoX, and I apologise for it.

But you must be wondering what relevance an old man born over one-and-a-half centuries ago has to a 21st century automotive publication? Well, there is no connection, even a tenuous one. Except maybe this little automotive factoid: at the Sevagram Ashram, there was a broken-down Ford which was drawn by a pair of oxen – Gandhi called it his Ox-Ford!

The Mahatma has left a huge body of quotable quotes that are powerful and relevant even today. I thought why not take a selection and maybe learn something from them to make us into better riders, drivers or road users? He has weighed on everything – there are books on Gandhi on Business, on Diet, on Ecology, etc., so why not Gandhi on Road Manners?

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.”&nbsp;

These are a powerful few lines that have been shortened to a pithy ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ that is wrongly attributed to Gandhiji. However, the lesson remains relevant. If we wish our roads were to become better places, it starts with each one of us. If you, as a pedestrian, notice that others are not stopping at the zebra crossing, next time you’re driving, make it a point to give way at zebra crossings. If we think someone else is riding like a jackass, do pause to think whether you’re riding any better. If you see someone honking needlessly at a junction, maybe you should also observe your honking habits. True change happens only when each of us changes, not when you expect someone else to change while your habits stay as they are. And yes, one need not wait for others, we can start today.

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission”

I used to have this bad driving habit, but I think I have subdued it – though I admit it occasionally rises up sometimes. I used to get irritated that some smart alec was driving smarter than me… you know, clever manoeuvring, rapid overtaking, slick moves and all that sort of stuff that makes you think you are faster than everyone else. Admit it, even you have that problem right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading an auto publication. Anyway, now I have decided that no one is going to hurt my ego anymore. Please go ahead if you think you’re a better driver than anyone else; as far as I am concerned, it’s not going to affect me if I see you do what I would have done.

“The future depends on what we do in the present”

What Gandhiji said may seem a bit obvious, but does that reflect in our actions? We act like there’s no tomorrow in the way we drive or ride, but our tomorrows are watching us and learning from us. Our children, to whom we should set good examples, instead see us virtually break every rule, even putting them in harm’s way. Do you think the future will be glorious then? Also, it is an apt quote for bringing down harmful transport emissions. Not just individuals, but institutions too should also take it to heart and clean up our polluted air. All of us must act, individuals or institutions, and act in great coordination.

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”

By that measure, our society is highly uncivilized. Because it is the vulnerable road users who are dying every day on our roads. These are pedestrians and cyclists primarily, who account for about 20 per cent of all road fatalities. If you include two-wheeler riders as vulnerable, that’s another whopping 45 per cent. We often forget that it’s not a food chain, but a road ecosystem. So yes, if we have to attain some semblance of a civil society, our roads need to be inclusive of their requirements too.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed”

All of us get what you’re saying Gandhiji, but you wouldn’t have said that if you’d driven a Porsche 911 GT3.

Srinivas Krishnan Opinion - I am writing this on the birth anniversary of modern India’s

I am writing this on the birth anniversary of modern India’s greatest son and my hero, M K Gandhi. In other words, it is the 2nd of October, and to take a lesson from him, I admit I am pretty late in submitting this to the editor of autoX, and I apologise for it.

Let me start something serious with a joke I heard during the AIDS era. Yes, dear children, before COVID-19 came along, and even before social media was a thing, AIDS was a global phenomenon, killing people of all strata mercilessly. Anyway... a bank robber brandishing a syringe in his hand entered a prosperous bank and screamed at the teller, “Give me all the money or I will infect someone with this deadly AIDS virus!” But a brave gentleman managed to overpower and subdue the robber. Later, news cameras inevitably were thrust on his face and reporters breathlessly asked him, “You were so brave… Weren’t you afraid of contracting the virus?” To which our hero replied, “No fear, I wear a condom.”

Okay, it was not so funny, but I’ll come back to the context of the joke a little later. Let’s talk about the landmark Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP). It is a significant step in road safety intervention in India because it will have the effect of making volume cars manufactured and sold in India safer than before, especially going into the future. BNCAP is voluntary for OEMs, but best-selling models may be asked to be tested compulsorily or the Government may intervene to get some specific models tested. For OEMs, engineering cars that do well in BNCAP tests helps them in two ways primarily – one, it gives them a powerful marketing ‘reason-to-believe’ and use safety as a competitive advantage. Two, it will make models easier to accept for global markets, especially the high-margin developed ones. For customers, like the way the Bureau of Energy Efficiency gives star ratings to a white good that helps you arrive at a decision, BNCAP’s star ratings will help you choose a relatively safer car.

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All good so far. However, coming back to our hero – to draw a parallel with the prophylactic – even if he is an occupant in a BNCAP-tested car, there’s no guarantee of him emerging unscathed if he is foolhardy on the road. Or is subject to a crash in which he has no control. No matter how highly rated, a car cannot do much against mass and velocity – for example, a truck on the other side of the road losing control and veering towards you. Or even hard-impact events like what happened in the famous Cyrus Mistry crash. It’s just that you may be better off in a BNCAP-tested car, but that’s it.

Hence what we see starting 1 October 2023 should be just the beginning, as tests should increasingly start reflecting real Indian driving conditions. For instance, BNCAP may declare that Model 1 (can’t say X or Y for obvious reasons) has passed the offset collision test well, so you are safer in it when you have a collision with another car of similar size. But I am not sure we encounter as many high-speed car-to-car collisions in India as car-to-truck, car-to-LCV or car-to-bus. So, data collection is vital to inform future BNCAP regulations considering our wildly diverse driving conditions. In other words, I would say that BNCAP is just the starting – indigenizing the tests so that they reflect real-world Indian driving conditions will be a true shot in the arm for road safety. 
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That’s not all. BNCAP now tests only passenger cars, but when you look at our road fatality and injury statistics, car occupants are already pretty sorted. They don’t account for as many fatalities and injuries as two-wheelers and pedestrians. Of the 154,000 fatalities in 2021 (MoRTH data; 2022 is yet to be uploaded) two-wheelers (45%) and pedestrians (19%) accounted for nearly 65%, while the category called ‘Cars, Taxis, Vans, LMVs’ accounted for 13%. Once again: Cars. And Taxis, Vans, LMVs. The data says it all.

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As I have written before, car safety gets all the headlines and hogs all the attention. Now with BNCAP, the decibels are only going to get louder. Well, I surely like to drive in a safe car and road fatalities of any kind are unwanted, but, as an observer, I feel that attention is being diverted away from crucial safety interventions that are non-negotiable (as opposed to ‘voluntary’). Especially infrastructure, road conditions, pedestrian facilities, licensing, law implementation and data reporting/collection – these can help drive down our horrific numbers. And why should BNCAP stop at cars if mortality rates are higher with other kinds&nbsp;of vehicles?&nbsp;

Remember, the objective should be to reduce road fatalities and injuries that occur in our unique driving landscape and not only to rate cars for people who are already privileged to be in a safe cocoon. While BNCAP is symbolic of the maturity of the Indian automotive industry as well as the market, it’s not enough for the mammoth task at hand.

India's New Bharat NCAP is Good, But Here's How it can Become Better

India gets a New Car Assessment Programme, a sign of a maturing automotive market. While an important landmark, it’s not nearly enough. What's lacking? A focus on the unique conditions that make up the Indian driving landscape.

A friend here in Mumbai got caught honking the other day. He didn’t even know he was being fined, till a challan landed up on his mobile phone for 1,000 bucks with appropriate GPS coordinates. Mumbai Police had their first ‘No Honking Day’ in 2008 and it took them a staggering FIFTEEN years to observe one again, which they did last month. Still, one should be grateful that they acknowledged that traffic noise is an issue that needs to be addressed seriously. Heck, they should do it for themselves, as traffic policemen are probably the worst affected by noise pollution.

It’s so sad that honking incessantly and without any reason is not considered an assault, as much as deliberately colliding with, or side-swiping, another vehicle. Noise can be equally deadly, let alone make you deaf or even lead to tinnitus. Heart attacks, high blood pressure, insomnia, nausea, headache, dizziness, etc., are all symptoms of noise pollution. And did I mention road rage? Road traffic is easily one of the biggest causes in India of noise pollution – it’s a not-so-silent killer, as it can lead to bodily damage and even premature death.

Sorry for the following science lesson, but it’s important: A recent New York Times article explained what happens when we are subjected to sound pollution: Noise signals are sent to the stress detection area in the brain – the amygdala – invoking the stress response. The amygdala, when subjected to consistent noise, begins to produce harmful effects. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a rapid heart rate, higher blood pressure and the production of inflammatory cells. Over time, this can lead to inflammation, hypertension and plaque build-up in the arteries, leading to the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. India is, of course, the world’s leading nation when it comes to heart disease. Oh, also nearly 10% of adult Indians suffer from hearing loss, according to the largest study in the world conducted in India.

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Are there rules that govern noise pollution? Yes, there are and my friend deserved what he got via Section 194F of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. If you ‘sound the horn needlessly or continuously or more than necessary to ensure safety, or drive a motor vehicle which makes use of a cut-out by which exhaust gases are released other than through the silencer, it shall be punishable with a fine of INR 1,000.’ Oh, a second and subsequent offence will attract a fine of INR 2,000. So now you know.

The Central Pollution Control Board too has permissible limits for noise levels. In residential areas, it’s 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night. And in industrial areas, it is 75 dB and 70 dB and in commercial areas, it’s 65 dB and 55 dB day and night, respectively. As we all know, the decibels in real life are far, far higher than what’s on paper. But here’s what makes it worse, something which I, um, recently discovered: Decibel scales are not linear, they are logarithmic. What that means is for every 10 dB of increase in noise, the sense of loudness doubles. Imagine standing at a junction managing traffic in a commercial area with daytime permissible limits of 65 dB, while you are actually subjected to, let’s say, 95 dB. I’m poor in math (and science), but that sounds worse than what one imagines.

The NYT article also quoted a 2021 Swiss report published after studying more than four million adults for over a decade: ‘Starting at just 35 dB, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease increased by 2.9% for every 10 dB increase in exposure to road traffic noise. The increase in risk of dying from a heart attack was even more pronounced: Also starting at just 35 dB, it increased by 4.3% for every 10 dB increase in road traffic noise.’ And that’s in Switzerland!

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So what’s the solution for India? Honking is the most ‘voluminous’ component of road traffic noise, so it needs to be curbed. But how do you do that when everyone is honking? How many fines can a traffic policeman levy on honking over and above his duties? One solution can be what was introduced in Paris last year, a noise radar that can measure noise levels of vehicles, read their number plates and send tickets automatically. However, a cheaper option would be to print stickers with my favourite message. I’m sure it sounds better in any of our 22 official languages; nevertheless, here goes: ‘Even dogs don’t bark without a reason. Stop honking.’

There’s an Invisible Killer on Our Roads, Surely You've Heard it?

A friend here in Mumbai got caught honking the other day. He didn’t even know he was being fined, till a challan landed up on his mobile phone for 1,000 bucks with appropriate GPS coordinates.

Women look at me when I’m driving my car and exclaim, “Cho-chweet!” their hearts going aflutter, with billions of cartoony love emojis exploding at the top of their heads. They are barely able to hold themselves back. Disclaimer: I am generally cute, but not as much as my effervescent green 1960 Volkswagen Beetle that they are actually going ga-ga over. The Beetle is easily the most famous of all the ‘cute-looking’ cars on the planet, justifiably so, with its rounded body and ‘how could you leave me without giving me a hug’ look that tugs at your heartstrings.

Well, I call my Bug Miriam and carry on having (usually) heated conversations with her, completely ignoring others around me who wonder whom I’m talking to. My car is after all a non-sentient machine, built from sheet metal, plastic, rubber, cast iron and chrome, but I attribute it human characteristics – this phenomenon is called anthropomorphism, that of giving human characteristics to inanimate objects or sometimes even non-human living beings, like your pet. It was taken to great heights in the Love Bug series of movies, remember them? Speaking of movies, take any of the killer robots, droids or drones in sci-fi movies like Star Wars, Terminator, Matrix or the Transformers series and all of them look universally evil and menacing, while the ones that are friendly to humans inevitably look trustworthy. A classic example is the BB-8 droid from the Star Wars sequels and its twin, the BB-9E – one is friendly, and the other one is evil. How? A minor change in form and the colour scheme, that’s all it takes.

There are multiple examples of anthropomorphic design in objects all around us, whether it be cartoon characters, designer perfume bottles, Google Maps giving you directions, Siri answering your questions and even animated interfaces like the Personal AI Assistant in the MG Astor. With the astounding development in Artificial Intelligence, as seen in ChatGPT, where you can actually have a conversation with a machine the way you do with another human, anthropomorphism is going to go ballistic across applications, even in automobiles. But this column is not about AI, but about the emotions that are devised to be evoked via design.

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What is the reason for designers to adopt anthropomorphism in the objects that they design? Well, the reason is that we humans tend to connect with human-like objects better and develop an innate emotional attraction to these over the non-humanoid variety. This can be a powerful tool for brands and products. The snarly face of a Mustang or an angry Lamborghini is designed to look that way. Today, even the regular cars that we all own and drive seem to look aggressive and throw attitude, as if to keep others away from touching you. Others are designed to look snooty.

But this is for today. What happens tomorrow, when fully autonomous or self-driven cars start becoming popular? Or how can we humanize public transport to make it more approachable and friendly to all? What about two-wheelers, especially of the electric variety? Should commercial vehicles be inanimate or should they also be designed to have an emotional bond with the driver or owner? These are questions people in the mobility industry will need answers to soon.

In 2014, a group of three researchers from three US universities got together to measure people’s responses to autonomous cars that were more anthropomorphic versus those that were not. They found that people considered human-like cars to be intelligent and trustworthy, and capable of taking the right decisions. Furthermore, in a test which involved an unavoidable collision caused by another car, they blamed the humanlike car less for the crash compared to the other one they were driving, which was sterile in design. Even the participants’ heart rates were at reduced levels during the collision versus the other one! As one of the researchers put it in an article, “Our study showed that simple autonomy made people see the car as a responsible agent, but adding humanlike features generated trust and assumed competence.”

The implications of anthropomorphism – which acts at a subconscious level – in automotive design, especially in tomorrow’s cars, which are expected to have a greater level of self-governing technology, are quite profound. Not just cars, but mobility, in general, will have an impact. Combined with AI, we are looking at a new era altogether which will be approachable, friendly and trustworthy, rather than creep people out. As for me, I request the ladies to form an orderly queue, please.

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Why do we look at a car and say it’s cute or that it looks aggressive?

Why do we look at a car and say it’s cute or that it looks aggressive, ignoring the fact that these are inanimate objects? Say hello to (deep breath) anthropomorphism… Women look at me when I’m driving my car and exclaim, “Cho-chweet!”

Battery electric drivetrains may be transforming mobility, but why are vehicle form factors being left behind?

In 1934, Chrysler introduced the Airflow. It was an extraordinary car for its era, for it was an engineering breakthrough. Using unitary body construction and excellent packaging inside for passengers, the Airflow was not only comfortable but was safer too compared to its contemporaries. However, the piece de resistance of the Airflow was its aerodynamics, which was arrived at after extensive wind-tunnel testing. With upright grilles and imposing bodywork, most other cars in the 1930s were aerodynamic disasters, and here the Airflow was designed to cut down drag – leading to better efficiency and performance. The ‘waterfall’ grille was rounded and extended up into the bonnet, the headlamps were faired in, and the front wheels were enclosed by full fenders while the rear fenders covered the wheels with side skirts. The Airflow was designed in keeping with that era’s fascination for streamlining, as seen in the aerodynamic designs of locomotives, buses, buildings and even home appliances. Despite all this, the Chrysler Airflow was a failure. Why? 
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Because it looked too unusual. While there are other reasons, like manufacturing delays, quality and deliveries, the dismal response received for what was a thoroughly modern car was attributed to its design – it was too advanced for consumer acceptance. 
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Why am I talking about the Airflow? Because I believe such a thing will never happen now. We, as customers, are beyond being shocked by any design that is unusual or eccentric. Advanced design is something that customers are keener to have than ever before. I believe that EVs have played a role in transforming the way even ICE vehicles – be it two-, three- or four-wheelers – look. Take <a href="https://www.autox.com/news/car-news/2023-hyundai-verna-launched-in-india-features-prices-variants-explained-112753/">the new Hyundai Verna</a>, for example – it looks almost EV-ready. 
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Today, a big opportunity is staring at product planners and designers across the vehicle spectrum – an opportunity provided by the battery-electric drivetrain. Industry professionals are liberated from the tough conditions posed by ICE drivetrain and its consequent plumbing and fixtures. Conventional vehicles can only look so futuristic – owing to their drivetrain, they cannot be truly path-breaking. The design can only be evolutionary, not revolutionary. Today, you can create a BEV that may look outrageous and ultra-futuristic – and provided it meets the promised functionality and delivers value – consumer acceptance will not be found wanting.

Today, we aren’t even surprised to see those little low-speed EVs that the local kirana-wala uses to deliver groceries. What was he using earlier? Bicycles, right? Now you have custom-built little electric runabouts with a form factor that fits their requirements – making deliveries more efficient. Another example is the recently unveiled River Indie calling itself the SUV among electric two-wheelers. It is a clever match between form and functionality, a capability provided by a battery-electric drivetrain. 
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Electric drivetrains, combined with clever software, are already transforming mobility. Take for example of the new Yulu DEx GR and Miracle GR manufactured by Bajaj Auto catering to micro-mobility and urban mobility requirements – a perfect fit for the ride-sharing business. Not too far in the distant future, perhaps we’ll see distinctive-looking two-wheelers customised for bike-taxi requirements: a robust frame and strong suspension, a long wheelbase for rider comfort, space to store helmets, additional room for storing backpacks, etc. Similarly, electric trikes for goods delivery is also an idea whose time has come.

If mobility has to be reimagined, why should the form factor for cars be unchanged? If we can have two-wheelers catering to ride-sharing or goods delivery, why can’t we look at four-wheelers differently? Well, it’s not going to take long, I believe. MG Motor will most likely be the first off the block with its Air EV for passengers – a little urban runabout that makes so much sense given the driving conditions of our cities (the Maini Reva was ahead of its time!). Easy to have as a second or third car, a great fit for the milk run or even to get to the office quickly… <a href="https://www.autox.com/news/car-news/mg-air-ev-spied-yet-again-before-india-launch-interiors-revealed-112514/">The MG Comet</a>&nbsp;may look radical and is also not expected to be cheap, but it is a true test of whether four-wheelers can push the limits of acceptable form factors the way two-wheelers have already done. Product planners are free to explore boundaries of what’s possible and use the enormous flexibility that the battery electric drivetrain provides to fill niches in the marketplace and the customer’s mind-space. May a hundred form factors bloom.

In the meanwhile, Chrysler is mulling the launch of the 21st-century version of the Airflow. Stellantis showcased it as an EV concept last year that – dare I say this – looks conventional. Perhaps Chrysler is in no hurry to repeat what happened back in 1934!

While EVs Liberate Designers & Product Planners, Some Form Factors Left Behind

Battery electric drivetrains may be transforming mobility, but why are vehicle form factors being left behind? In 1934, Chrysler introduced the Airflow. It was an extraordinary car for its era, for it was an engineering breakthrough.

Despite the huge interest in heritage cars &amp; bikes, OEMs in India are missing out by not engaging with vintage and classic enthusiasts in creative ways.

Easy question: How many Indian automotive industry professionals do you meet at vintage and classic car events? Think, think hard.&nbsp;

Not many, but there are some – right? I had asked this question in a column ten years ago, and the numbers were pretty dismal. Since then, things have changed for the better. Some brands have realised the value of celebrating their heritage models by holding rallies or rides officially, so the executives make their presence felt there – it is their party, after all. Mercedes-Benz and Royal Enfield have set benchmarks, and many, including MG Motors, Jawa Yezdi, and Mahindra, have also upped their game (Disclosure: I am associated with the latter two brands professionally). As for many of the rest, it is the fans who are keeping the flame burning rather than the brands themselves.

And the fire burns. While talking and swapping notes with vintage and classic enthusiasts, you can’t help but notice how passionate and knowledgeable they are about the brands and products, even more than the OEM professionals themselves. Enthusiasts also celebrate the brands in their way and don’t expect any support from OEMs – join our party if you wish, but we are having a party anyway. From long drives across the country to simple Instagram posts, club meets on weekends to WhatsApp groups, brands are living an extended life in the minds of people, long after the sell-by dates of their products. So what do most OEMs in India think: should this extended life be celebrated or shunned?&nbsp;

I think it’s the latter. Because most brand managers must be asking themselves what’s the point of spending money and celebrating a glorious past if it is not going to contribute to increased vehicle sales in the present. Why get people excited about a path-breaking model of the 1960s and assume that it will help sell their existing humdrum sedan sixty years later?&nbsp;

Sure, I can understand that. Brands are beyond brand manager tenures – they are built over time and monthly sales can’t be a yardstick to measure the strength of relationships between fans and brands. To know where a brand is going, you need to know where it came from. 
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One cool example of that: I went to have a close look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at the showroom, and the salesman’s opening remarks were about the 1970s Hyundai Pony! The Korean major does not have as long a legacy as other brands, but still, they could connect the path-breaking Giugiaro-designed hatchback with their futuristic, 21st-century mass-production electric car. My teenage son quickly whipped out his phone to see what the Pony looked like and connected the two cars separated by decades. Well done on the sales training, Hyundai! 
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Meanwhile, at the 21 Gun Salute Concours d’Elegance that was held in early January in Vadodara, Mahindra, Jawa Yezdi and MG Motors made a visible impact on the attending audience. Visitors and even participants at the event were in a frame of mind to see beautiful machines of the brands’ past and the setting provided by the Concours d’Elegance was also spectacular. Industry executives hobnobbed with classic car and bike owners and came closer to recognising the flame that burns within enthusiasts. The conversations were eye-opening for the executives – so much love and passion for the brand could be felt in this place. This can only be good for the brand, right? Can’t this momentum be taken forward?

Even brands that are defunct in India, like Fiat (can’t believe it, right?), had their section, with an ensemble of beautiful, exquisitely maintained machines throbbing with vitality. Tomorrow, when Fiat comes back to India (come on, Stellantis!) guess who are the first people who will line up to welcome it? Volkswagen Classic clubs are buzzing with action and it was only with their support that I could get the official ‘birth certificate’ of my Beetle from Volkswagen Germany.

It is time OEMs in India recognise this passion among the vintage and classic vehicle community and start connecting with them regularly. Have some engaging talks at your showrooms, have a contest for the best Instagram posts, have quizzes, set up a strong merchandise section, help with parts, components, technical drawings or assistance, build a database of vehicles and owners, curate events, encourage meet-ups, have an annual brand extravaganza, support those who want to take their old-timers on long trips… the possibilities are many. Oh, also do attend and participate in vintage and classic car and bike meets and events – you’ll enjoy it. &nbsp;

Srinivas Krishnan Opinion - heritage cars & bikes

Despite the huge interest in heritage cars & bikes, OEMs in India are missing out by not engaging with vintage and classic enthusiasts in creative ways. Easy question: How many Indian automotive industry professionals do you meet at vintage and classic car events? Think, think hard.

Vulnerable users face the highest risk on our roads and account for the maximum fatalities. Yet, they seem to be invisible to everyone who matters. What gives?

My heart breaks every time a schoolchild lifts her hand to request vehicles to stop to cross the road and get to school. Russian missiles that rain down on hapless Ukrainians without discrimination are lifeless, but a car driver or a bike rider is not – one assumes there is a brain and heart even when they drive a car or ride a bike.

Vulnerable road users in India are at high risk, and they seem to be invisible: to vehicle drivers, traffic policemen manning signals, road planning and urban development authorities, municipalities and governing bodies, policymakers and to politicians. Vulnerable road users are those who also use roads, but are bereft of protection. Typically, these are pedestrians, cyclists, handcart pullers and occupants of animal-drawn vehicles, non-motorised vehicles and even e-rickshaws. Do you remember seeing them or registering their presence during your morning commute or highway drive?

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Our urban roads are designed to accommodate the maximum number of vehicles possible and translocate them from one signal to the next. A traffic policeman will be answerable if he cannot process the traffic quickly enough – do you think a higher-up stuck in a traffic jam will compliment him on allowing pedestrians to cross safely? Typically, the policeman won’t even be bothered till a robust traffic management system forces him to do so, but what’s that, right? This is why when a cop helps an old lady cross the road, it makes for a WhatsApp forward, if not news – like man bites dog.

Coming to the definition of vulnerable road users, typically two-wheeler riders are also included. But there are several issues with that, according to me. One, it skews the data when you try to introduce some road safety interventions to protect vulnerable road users. For example, pavements – does it belong to them as well? (Well, two-wheeler riders certainly think so, but that’s beside the point). Two, they are comparatively at a reduced level of vulnerability considering that they should be wearing helmets and some sort of protective gear; if they don’t, they have chosen to be vulnerable. Three, a majority of them, across the country, head out towards their destination with the aim of NOT getting there, but to the nearest hospital or morgue. It may sound glib or harsh, but the statistics are not flattering.

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According to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for 2021, there were 69,385 fatalities of two-wheeler riders, accounting for a whopping 45 per cent of ALL road fatalities in the country. Okay, now perhaps all of those near-70,000 deaths may not be entirely the rider’s fault, but what do you think it should be? All will be revealed.

Then there are, what I call, the really vulnerable road users who in total accounted for 46,228 deaths or 30 per cent of the overall 153,972 road fatalities that occurred in 2021. By the way, after two-wheelers, pedestrian fatalities have the highest share – 19 per cent, which grew by a quarter over 2020! Wonder what the 2022 numbers will reveal – I am sure it’s not going to be dramatically different, or positive.

Okay, so MoRTH – to get more granular in its data collection – in 2019, started identifying ‘crime vehicles’ and ‘victim vehicles’ involved in road fatalities, the definition of which is self-explanatory. The leading three crime vehicle types that killed pedestrians were Cars, Taxis, Vans &amp; LMVs, followed closely by Two-wheelers and then Autorickshaws. So what sort of crime vehicles killed a majority of two-wheeler riders? Well, what do you know – most of them were caused by Two-wheelers themselves, followed by the Cars &amp; LMV category, then Trucks &amp; Lorries.

Anyway, if you combine both ‘real vulnerable’ with the ‘quasi-vulnerable’ two-wheelers, they account for 65 per cent of all fatalities – do you think they proportionately account for 65 per cent of all conversations and heated buzz that take place on road safety? Maybe 65 per cent of headlines or prime time or even WhatsApp forwards related to crashes? Are road safety interventions by all the powers that be targeted majorly towards this 65 per cent? Do you think pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users have a say when it comes to road usage, or have equal rights as car owners and truck drivers? Well, you know what the answers are. Starting in 2023, the least we can do is to be more aware and considerate towards them every time we head out on our bike or car. Let alone strangers, sometimes we or our loved ones are the ones who are “vulnerable.”

Vulnerable road users in India are at high risk. Yet, they seem to be invisible

Vulnerable road users in India are at high risk, and they seem to be invisible: to vehicle drivers, traffic policemen manning signals, road planning and urban development authorities, municipalities and governing bodies, policymakers and to politicians. What gives?

Srinivas Krishnan