THIS STUDY CONSIDERS the automobile industry in India and its environmental performance. Nine chapters cover various aspects of the industry in extremely thorough technical detail, illustrated by many charts, tables and graphs which give the results of all the factors tested.
The book starts with a short chapter which sets the scene on automobiles and pollution. A brief history is followed by an account of automobile pollution and its health implications. The great Indian dream is to own a vehicle which, thanks to government policies in favour of motorization, is fast becoming achievable. However, one person dies every hour in Delhi as a result of ambient air pollution, and air quality in Indian cities has never been worse. The reasons given for this are poor technology and a lack of government willingness to investigate alternatives, a shift from road to rail and bad urban planning. Production patterns are also explained and the trend for outsourcing is shown to have a detrimental effect on the environment.
Chapter 2 looks at the life cycle of the automobile and analyzes many of the industrial processes of production as well as the performance of the finished vehicle. Raw material extraction and emissions during disposal are not covered. Chapter 3 covers the results of green ratings tests, and these show that the average overall score obtained by the Indian automobile industry is slightly better than the average performance of the sector generally. All the companies taking part are listed and the best and worst companies are highlighted under various performance categories.
Chapter 4 highlights best and worst practices in a bench-marking exercise. Chapter 5 is concerned with emissions and fuel efficiency, and assesses how Indian companies perform, broken down by vehicle and engine type. Fuel economy is also considered here as it is a key factor influencing the buyer, with obvious benefits for the environment.
Chapter 6 presents the major findings of the green ratings project for the automobile sector, which can be summarized in one phrase - far from satisfactory. Chapter 7 deals with recent developments in automotive technologies, including improvements in engine design as well as exhaust after-treatment systems and other pollution control technologies.
Chapter 8 covers alternative fuels and vehicles, which still remain only a tiny segment of the vehicle industry and market. Advantages and disadvantages of natural gas, alcohol, hydrogen, liquefied petroleum, electricity, solar power and bio-diesel amongst others are considered and compared. The book finishes with a long list of recommendations for consumers, for policy makers, for the automobile industry and during production.