Rahul Gandhi Explains Vehicle Weight Differences: Electric Mobility and Decentralization of Power

New Delhi:

Why is there a significant weight difference between a motorcycle (approximately 100 kg) and a car (around 3,000 kg)? This question was raised by Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Colombia while addressing an audience. However, his explanation prompted criticism from the BJP, with a senior leader dismissing it as "gibberish."

During his interaction with students at EIA University, Gandhi posed an intriguing question about vehicle weight disparities: "To carry one passenger, you need 3,000 kg of metal in a car, while a 100-kg motorcycle carries two passengers. So why is a motorcycle able to carry two passengers with 150 kg of metal and a car needs 3,000?"

Gandhi suggested this question is fundamental to understanding the transition toward electric mobility. According to him, the answer lies in engine design. "The car engine kills you on impact and the motorcycle is light because its engine flies out during an accident," he explained.

He elaborated: "In a motorcycle, when you have an impact, the engine is separated from you. So, the engine doesn't hurt you. In a car, when you have an impact, the engine comes into the car. So, the car is designed to stop the engine from killing you."

Gandhi proposed electric mobility as the solution to this "problem" in cars. He stated that electric motors break the centralized energy system, adding, "The electric motor allows you to put a motor there, and there, and there. So, the electric motor is a decentralization of power. That's really its effectiveness."

The BJP criticized Gandhi's theory, with the party's media cell chief Amit Malviya commenting: "I haven't heard this much gibberish in one go. If anyone can decode what Rahul Gandhi is trying to say here, I would be glad to be enlightened. But if you are as amused as I am, rest assured, you are not alone."

About Cars Or A Political Jibe?

While Gandhi's remarks appear to address automobile engineering on the surface, many interpreted them as a subtle political commentary, following a similar statement he made in February emphasizing the need to decentralize political power.

"Traditional engines are centralized power sources, but in EVs, power is decentralized - batteries and motors reshape the entire design," he had previously stated, suggesting that the world is transitioning to a new energy system where electric motors and batteries will be crucial technologies.

He had maintained during discussions with students from Nagaland that decentralization of power would transform everything from economy to politics.