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Electrification of road transport is a critical step towards establishment of a sustainable transport ecosystem. However, a major hindrance to electric mobility is the high cost and weight of the battery pack. Downsizing the battery pack will not only address these issues, but will also reduce embedded emissions due to battery manufacturing. One approach towards reducing battery pack size and still offering the user of electric vehicles similar mobility experiences as in case of conventional vehicles is to set up extensive network of charging or battery swapping stations. Another approach is to provide the vehicle with required energy while it is on the move. However, conventional systems such as overhead line or conducting rails have several disadvantages in the urban environment.

Battery Electric vehicles produce zero local emissions and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. They open up possibility of efficient use of renewable energy in transport sector. India is endowed with high solar irradiance in most of the regions and seasons. Hence, tapping the solar energy for electrification of vehicles would be a sustainable solution in long run. Since significant amount of fossil fuels are consumed for public transportation, electrification of public transportation is a necessary step towards sustainability. However, range limitation is a serious constraint for electric buses. The technologies such as lightweight design of bus body and integration of solar panels on roof top of the bus can help in reducing the total energy consumption requirement.

Mass reduction of vehicle is crucial for increasing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions so as to address rising environmental concerns. In case of battery electric vehicles, this will further augment the benefits in reducing the energy storage capacity required at a given electric drive range. The range of an electric vehicle depends on the stored energy in the battery pack and energy use by the vehicle. The energy use by a vehicle depends on several factors including vehicle mass, power train efficiency as well as driving cycle. Given a range requirement, vehicle's energy efficiency determines the energy storage required. A lighter vehicle will typically require a smaller battery for a given electric range, which in turn will result in energy savings. Hence, vehicle mass and battery mass are critical factors in energy efficiency of the vehicle.