The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : An `ideal’ car for city traffic conditions: “Bangalore: Bangalore city, which made the country’s first commercially manufactured electric car, has spawned many inventors trying out variations of electric cars.
Some are powered by solar cells such as the car, or rather cart, designed by Syed Sajjad Ahmed.
‘It was a dream I carried over from my school days,” he says about ‘Electro Solar Cart’ he has made and taken around the city and even to places as far away as Chennai.
It is powered by a battery that has a solar cell back-up and can be recharged at suitable intervals.
After every recharge, the car can run up to 50 km at a speed of 30 kmph to 40 kmph, which is ideal for city traffic conditions.
Mr. Ahmed has been supported by several organisations, including the Centre for Environment Education and UNDP’s Small Grants Programme.
‘After being recharged, on a sunny day the solar cells get charged more or less on a regular basis and chances of running out of power are rare in a city,” he explains.
The model he demonstrated has seats for two adults and two children; the average running cost works out to 30 paise a km, he claims. ‘The solar power kits can also be fitted to some other vehicles with some modifications. If given enough support I can make this vehicle on a commercial scale and it can be ideal for travelling in the city. The prototype costs nearly Rs. 1 lakh but if manufactured on a large scale, the cost can perhaps be brought down,” Mr. Ahmed says.
He has also developed two variations of solar powered two-wheelers, which, he says, can be comfortably used by the physically disabled.
These can run for 20 km after every recharge. This apart, he has experimented with converting to solar power some commercially manufactured mopeds.
Non-conventional energy has not yet been thought of as a serious alternative except for commercial transport in some cities and this trend should change”
Does this inspire anyone? I think solar is slowly creeping to the top of the renewable energy charts. Now they have flexible solar cells, who’s gonna be the first to plaster them all over their Bajaj 3-wheeler?
1. June 2006 at 4:59 pm
Yes ‘ideal’, and so stylish too.
Just for anyone that is looking for some conversion on the figures listed in the article:
He built his prototype for 1 lakh (that is 100,000) rupees, works up to be $2222.22 . That sounds better to me than buying a used Vespa.
The article also mentions 30 paise per km. That is about one third of a rupee and you can think of each rupee as 2 cents. By comparison the Bajaj ‘autos’ (three wheelers) use just over 1 rupee worth of dirty diesel per km or an underpowered Suzuki car will cost about 3 rupees per km (on diesel).
2. June 2006 at 5:12 pm
Hey elhersindia! Thanks for the insite here. It’s like you read my mind because I hadn’t a clue what a lakh or a paise was.
You’re in India, right? Maybe you could spy on Kinetic / Italjet for us and give us the scoop. ;)