Collector drives e-rickshaw developed by students

TIRUVANNAMALAI: District collector Prashant M Wadnere on Wednesday carried out a test drive of solar powered e-rickshaws, developed by a group of engineering students. Wadnere drove the vehicle on the premises of the collectorate, with the district revenue officer Palani on the backseat. The collector’s gesture pleased the students — Dinesh K, Elam Thamizhan E, Gopi K and Selvanathan M — who are in their third year of mechanical engineering in Arunai Engineering College. It took two months for the students to develop the vehicle as part of their project work. Though the concept was not new, the students have developed the e-rickshaw with gear system.
“Unlike other solar vehicles, our e-rickshaw has clutch and gear including reverse gear. It will help to drive the vehicle in steeps,” said Selvanathan. The vehicle has three solar panels, which form the vehicle’s roof and five lithium batteries beneath the back seat. “A maximum of seven people, including the driver, can travel in the vehicle,” said Selvanathan, who attributed their success to the encouragement and support given by their department head A Eakambaram. The vehicle can be driven at a maximum speed of 60 kmph for a stretch of 100km, if the batteries are fully charged, he said. It will take eight hours to charge the batteries to the optimum level, he added. The vehicle was developed at a cost of Rs 65,000, the students said.

Source:TOI