The solar rickshaw: India’s ubiquitous transportation gets a makeover
Rickshaws are very much part of the Indian street scene, with pullers winding their way expertly around busy traffic to get passengers to their destinations. Onlookers, especially foreign travelers, marvel at the tenacity of the pullers to continue working in the midday sun when temperatures can soar up to 99 degrees. In a survey conducted in Pune, Maharashtra, postmen use rickshaws to travel 25 to 28 miles and carry weights of 22 to 33 pounds on a daily basis. It will come as welcome news to them that they can now carry out their duties in a solar-electric-powered light delivery vehicle called the Soleckshaw.
Redesign
Originally piloted in October 2008, the ecofriendly Soleckshaw has been redesigned by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) and Kinetic Motors. Being dual-powered, the Soleckshaw is both pedal-assisted and powered using a battery that can be charged by solar energy. For mass production, CSIR has transferred the technology to three companies: Modular Machines, Faridabad; HBL Power Systems Limited; and DEAN Systems.
Benefits
Besides being ecofriendly like the rickshaw, the Soleckshaw can provide many other benefits to its users. Designed to carry two or three passengers and reaching a speed of more than 8 miles per hour, the Soleckshaw can pull weights up to 440 pounds (not including the driver’s weight). The batteries need a day to charge and last a journey of up to 30 miles. To give the puller an even better journey time, Soleckshaws come equipped with a mobile phone charger and an FM radio. These new vehicles will definitely be a status symbol to their owners compared to the ordinary rickshaw owners who only have leg power and stamina to battle their way through India’s heaving traffic.
Comfort
Pulling a rickshaw requires hard work, especially when carrying heavy loads and going uphill. According to Gopal Sinha, director at Advanced Institute of Science and Training, “The 36V motor has been used to ‘assist’ the driver in pedaling. Even though it may not relieve him of pedaling, it will definitely make the task almost effortless for him.” A more comfortable seat design and a better suspension and braking system will ensure both comfort and safety for the driver and his passengers.
Concerns
There are a number of concerns, though, regarding the Soleckshaw. It does not have a solar panel on the body, so the batteries need to be charged at solar-powered charging stations. Currently the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is providing the facility at a central solar panel at Chandni Chowk. Central Electronics Limited (CEL) and INSILICA in Calcutta are the only other organizations that are prepared to set up solar charging stations. Because of the large financial outlay involved, hopes are pinned on more involvement from the private sector and through microloans provided to individuals by NGOs.
Government support
The aim is to make Soleckshaws available to all parts of India and included in the 2010 budget; the government is proposing a concessional excise duty of 4 percent with key parts and components required for the vehicles being exempt from customs duty. Manufacturers are asking for more support from the government to reduce prices so that there is an increase in demand for the final products. Working at less than their production capacity, Anil Sahoo of HBL Power Systems says, “At the moment, demand is less. We have the capability to match production capacity as per the demand.”
Cost
It looks like India’s 8 million rickshaw owners will have to wait to see how this new invention changes their lives, but for the moment, at the cost of $662 (plus excise duty) each, they seem well out of reach. Alok Vijay Bhatnagar, CEO of Modular Machines, is confident that the “cost can be brought down, making the vehicle more affordable, by greater volumes of production.”
This can only be achieved by creating awareness, but for now, the use of these vehicles will be limited to postal deliveries and for transporting athletes at the Commonwealth Games, held in India in October 2010.
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