Dubai, UAE — In a world teeming with traffic and pollution, the future of urban transportation could look radically different—quieter, cleaner, and more efficient. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, a professor of aerospace engineering at IIT Madras, envisions a transformative shift powered by electric and hybrid vehicles, alongside the emerging promise of aerial taxis.
In this conversation, Chakravarthy, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Autonomous Mobility, explores how these technologies will revolutionize city life by reducing air pollution, easing congestion, and improving mobility. These advancements are supported by renewable energy, smarter grids, and innovative battery technologies, paving the way for cities of the future that are greener, smarter, and more connected than ever.
How will advancements in electric and hybrid vehicles transform city life in the long term?
Advancements in vehicle technologies will have a major impact on the way people live and transform city life altogether. Easier commutes with faster, quieter, and eco-friendly vehicles would reduce travel times significantly and reduce stress for urban residents. The development of a seamless travel network of electric cars, buses, metros, and aerial vehicles working together would eliminate the chaos of traffic jams and improve the quality of people’s lives – bringing us to the final result: smart cities, with vehicles integrated into smart systems, cities can manage traffic, energy, and transport needs in real-time. Ultimately, these advancements will also drastically reduce air and noise pollution and contribute to improving public health. The journey to get there requires innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision for a better future.
What are the biggest challenges cities face in adopting new transport technologies like electric and hybrid vehicles?
Cities face several hurdles in adopting new technologies like EVs and hybrids. First and foremost, it’s the infrastructure gaps due to limited charging stations and servicing facilities. Second is the relatively high upfront costs of EVs and batteries that make it a less attractive option for people to choose despite their preference towards electric vehicles. Last but not least is the general awareness of electric and hybrid vehicles among the public as many residents are unfamiliar with the benefits and usage of these technologies and in some extreme cases, even the availability of such vehicles.
As cities adopt more electric vehicles, what role do you think renewable energy sources like solar or hydrogen could play in supporting this shift?
As Asian cities embrace electric vehicles, renewable energy sources like solar and hydrogen can play a transformative role in making this shift cleaner and more sustainable. Large and hugely populous Asian countries like India have abundant sunlight, making solar power a natural fit for supporting EV adoption. These solar panels can be used on rooftops, parking lots and even depots to generate clean energy for charging EVs. Hydrogen, produced using renewables like wind or solar energy, is another promising option for powering fuel-cell vehicles, particularly for heavy transport or long-distance travel.
With the increasing demand on energy grids due to more electric vehicles, how can new technologies help maintain a stable power supply as EVs become more popular?
As more EVs hit the roads, energy grids will face added pressure, but new technologies can help balance the demand. Smart charging systems can schedule EVs to charge during off-peak hours, avoiding overload. Battery storage solutions, where excess renewable energy (like solar or wind) is stored for later use, will also ease grid stress. The EVs themselves can act as storage devices when not in use and transact with the grid for both demand and supply, called as V2G, i.e., Vehicle-to-Grid. Microgrids—localized energy networks—would power EV charging stations independently, ensuring a reliable supply even during high demand.
What advancements in battery technology do you see as critical for supporting next-generation transportation systems, particularly in urban settings?
We see the opportunity for the world to move away from Lithium-ion batteries to newer chemistries, probably still lithium-based, like Lithium-Sulphur, but progressively towards sodium-based and metal-air chemistries. For transportation systems that are less power-critical, the focus will be driven towards more and more energy-dense chemistries such as the above, whereas for eVTOLs where the power density matters as much as the energy density, combinations of chemistries, effective energy management systems, chemistry agnostic battery management systems, etc. will be crucial developments for the future.
How can innovations in semiconductors enhance the energy efficiency and performance of electric vehicles and other mobility solutions?
Electric vehicles are all about power electronics much more than any other systems. Battery management systems, battery thermal management systems, and energy management systems are all sensor-based devices that interplay based on power-converters and the like that are built upon power electronics. Semiconductors play a crucial role in these architectures. Similarly, motor controllers, flight controllers, inertial measurement systems, etc. have embedded systems that are architected using semiconductors. If cars are increasingly becoming computers on wheels, electric VTOLs would be their flying equivalents, out and out powered by semiconductor-based architectures.
You have been involved in developing innovative transport technologies like aerial vehicles. How might these innovations integrate with existing urban transport systems alongside electric cars?
The ePlane Company’s air taxis will revolutionize urban transport by offering faster and more efficient ways to move within cities. These vehicles would complement ground EVs by creating a multi-modal system—think EVs for short trips and air taxis for bypassing congested roads over longer distances. With dedicated take-off and landing zones integrated into vertiports, aerial vehicles will seamlessly connect to metro systems, electric buses, and EV taxis, creating a cohesive and futuristic urban transport network. A future that was once only imagined is translating now steadily into reality.
