The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : An `ideal' car for city traffic conditions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

An `ideal' car for city traffic conditions

K. Satyamurty

INNOVATIVE: The new solar powered car. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

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 now, he feels.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail