Eco Solar Bicycle (ESB) Invented by a 17 year old Mumbai boy to Improve our Health and Transportation
Modern society is extremely dependent on electricity generated by oil and coal, which both add to greenhouse gas buildup in the environment. Our homes, vehicles, and technologies require immense amounts of energy, yet fossil fuel supplies are finite. Sunshine, however, isn’t disappearing anytime soon.
Alternative energy sources are gaining more and more reputation and thus have attracted the attention of many industries. The transportation sector is not an exception so what can we expect in the future?
Compared to cars, solar-powered bi-cycle has no carbon footprint in the atmosphere and it improves our health while riding for a shorter distance. We must empathize with carbon-neutral transportation to save our environment.
ECO Solar Bicycle
The Eco Solar Bicycle (ESB) has invented by a 17-year-old Mumbai resident Ahaan Parekh using all indigenous components, readily available in the market. It can touch a maximum speed of 20kms per hour and takes about 5 to 6 hours to be completely charged in normal sunlight conditions.
Eco Solar Bicycle (ESB) Image source: Mumbai Messenger
It also offers the comfort and convenience of getting charged while in use. This path-breaking invention requires less human effort, is extremely comfortable to ride, and hence offers the luxury of being able to carry extra weight. The unique feature of the Eco Solar Bicycle is that it offers options of usage in three distinct ways, namely on solar power, battery power, and manual. This cycle can make life easier for home delivery vendors, such as newspapermen, milkmen, and dabbawalas.
The Eco Solar Bicycle by Ahaan Parekh was selected for the All India Nehru Science Center Innovation Festival and their participation was acknowledged with a trophy. Ahaan Parekh was also impressed as one of the prominent speakers for TEDx Juhu is one of their flagship events titled, ‘Ideas marrying execution’, as reported by Mumbai Messenger.
Parekh have donated five ESBs to dabbawalas. Parekh, a former student of The Cathedral and John Connon School in Fort, decided to do his International Baccalaureate (sIB) studies from Seven Oaks in the UK so that he could “experience a different culture and a boarding house”.
He said, “I did an internship with a solar energy company last year and also attended some online courses on renewable energy. I was thinking of using solar energy in everyday life. That is when I thought about the solar bicycle. This is my own idea and project, and I started working on it in May 2014, when I had a five-month break. It has been more than a year. I made my first prototype in about four months but kept improving it.”
“Primarily, home delivery vendors such as newspaper boys, milkmen, dabbawalas, dhobis, and so on can use this bicycle. It will make their work easier and they can earn more by covering more customers.
If they stop using mopeds or motorcycles, it will also help in reducing pollution. It will be a good showcase for use of clean energy. The financial part of the project was not substantial, as I used indigenous components readily available in the market,” added Parekh, as reported by DNA India.
The estimated cost of an ESB is anywhere between Rs. 15000 to Rs. 18000, this dynamic and cost-effective means of transport promises to be far cheaper than a bike and much more efficient than a bicycle.
Solar-powered bicycle is cleaner than coal and oil for transportation. When people see that they can save money by putting something into place, it often triggers them into action. But, when they can also help the environment, it further encourages them to seriously consider solar-powered vehicles. Maybe it’s time for you to look into solar power options for your daily transportation.