Getting smarter: an update on Auroville’s sustainable mobility

Kinisi is a unit under CSR, dedicated to bringing sustainable mobility to Auroville. Kinisi started officially on March 13, 2017, when it obtained a desk in a shared office at CSR (Center for Scientific Research) as well as a small workshop space downstairs. In the June-July 2017 issue of Auroville Today, Kinisi documented all of Auroville’s failed and successful attempts to move Auroville towards smart mobility. Marlyse recounts the progress since.

“We decided to start with researching e-cycles, as this type of vehicle is best adapted to transportation within Auroville and has the smallest ecological footprint after the pedal cycle. We worked on a business plan, procurement and fundraising. One Aurovilian donated start-up funds and others provided loans or committed to contribute for the initial running expenses.

“In order to overcome some prejudices about electric vehicles which stemmed from previous encounters with outdated technologies, we opened a Facebook page to create more awareness about sustainable mobility and published articles to inform Aurovilians about the progress in battery technology, ecological impacts and financial advantages of going electric.

“We searched for the ideal e-cycle and electrifying kit. One of the team, Debo, attended the 27th China International Bicycle Fair in Shanghai and traveled to Delhi, Bangalore, Coimbatore and other cities in India, contacting companies and establishing collaborative relationships with the best ones, such as Hulikkal for e-kits and Hero for e-cycles and e-scooters.

“We spent a lot of time researching procedures and tax exemption possibilities for importing 100 cycles from China. However, the import tax for electric cycles from China in 2017-18 was 46%, which made all Chinese cycles unaffordable here and we had to give up on this idea.

Testing e-cycles and e-scooters

“Testing protocols were set up. Matthias bought three e-scooters for testing: Hero Maxi, Hero Nyx and Auroville’s HumVee. We purchased several sample e-cycles from Hulikkal, Hero and others. We tested the limits of all the vehicles and obtained very valuable feedback and improvement suggestions.

“Our first cycle was converted to electric in June 2017. It has a strong, lightweight, removable battery, 2.5-hour charging time, and very powerful front and back lights. We use this kit to give extra pedal power. Debo also contacted Hero about their Ozone model e-cycle, and negotiated special prices with them.

“On August 15th, 2017, our first e-cycle went out for rent. From that point onward, our e-cycle fleet has increased steadily, with Raleigh Cinderella/Hullikal kits and Hero Ozone e-cycles. In the first year of Kinisi’s existence, we went from nothing to 70 e-cycles on the road. We hope to have at least 250 e-cycles on the road by February 2019.

“We are convinced that with our well-wishers’ help, the hard work of our staff and the cooperation of our residents, Auroville’s smart sustainable mobility goals will be achieved.

“For the future, we also plan to implement an in-kind mobility scheme on the model of PTDC, where Aurovilians pay a small monthly contribution and get access to all the e-cycles (and later on, electric cargo tricycles, motorcycles and bus transport) they need.”

For further information, contact

 kinisi@auroville.org.in or www.kinisi.in