In size, soleckshaw’s body has been customized in different models to suit different terrains and purposes. The hood and seat colours can be customised too. According to CMERI director Gautam Biswas, since the soleckshaw project is in development stage, different materials, both conventional and new, are being tried for optimization. Even different batteries are being used for performance evaluation. The brand finalisation will happen only after obtaining optimum results.

“The Mark I version of soleckshaw has been designed, developed and prototyped by CMERI in record time of eight months. A functional prototype of Mark I version was launched in Delhi in October 2008 for trial and test. The solar charging station for swapping batteries has been set up by the Central Electronics Limited and the BLDC motor has been developed by Crompton Greaves based on the specifications given by CMERI ,” says Amit Jyoti Banerjee, CMERI scientist and project leader (manufacturing) for soleckshaw. Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi, and Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, who was the then minister of science and technology and earth sciences, launched the soleckshaw in October.

After Mark I is tested on ground, Banerjee’s team will focus on improving and developing future models of soleckshaw. According to him, models Mark I Series 1 & 2 (Series 2 is a slimmer and lighter version of Series 1) and Mark II are being tested in Durgapur, Chandni Chowk, and Ghaziabad. A selective model of Mark II soleckshaw is likely to have a solar panel on top. Nevertheless, according to Sinha, it will still need to get its battery charged atthe solar charging station as it may not get completely charged under the sun.

Mark II is slimmer and lighter than Mark I, providing a higher speed limit of up to 30 kmph. Mark III soleckshaw, which is currently just a concept, could be a spacious family vehicle with reclined seats and aerodynamic body. It is expected to be launched before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Maintenance of a soleckshaw should not be a problem, according to the developers of the vehicle. One battery takes 5-6 hours for charging. However, one needn’t wait for charging as solar charging stations will be set up to provide the facility of replacing a drained battery with a charged one. With a fully charged battery, a soleckshaw can be driven for as much as 30-40 km, giving the driver an opportunity to earn more in a day than what is possible with a manual rickshaw.

COST EFFECTIVE

A soleckshaw is available at Rs 30,000-35,000. The CMERI team is working on ways to reduce the manufacturing cost. When the vehicle gets mass produced the price is expected to come down to Rs 20,000-25,000. Creators of soleckshaw believe it is cost-effective for mass manufacturers. “The cost-effectiveness of soleckshaw has been engineered by optimizing the system around the most appropriate commercially available components. This minimises the capital requirement for a mass manufacturing unit. Only the novel sub-assemblies like the differential drive, the special hub motor with regenerative feature and the light weight solar panel need to be manufactured apart from the chassis,” says Amit Jyoti Banerjee. The technology has been transferred to two companies—Modular Machines, Faridabad and Dean Systems, Kolkata. Moreover, it seems that the Science and Technology wing of Embassy of India in the US is thinking of importing a few soleckshaws to USA .

Banerjee also adds that innovative business models are being evolved with NGOs, banks, environment-loving corporates and manufacturing organizations to make the soleckshaw available to the drivers at the cost of an ordinary rickshaw. Moreover, capital gain from advertisements and carbon credits could be used for subsidizing the cost of soleckshaw. Pradip K Sarmah, executive director, Centre for Rural Development, an NGO in Noida that operates a rickshaw bank among its other services, says, “A normal rickshaw is priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000. When soleckshaw comes in market, we do not intend to increase the financial burden on the buyer, that is, the rickshaw-puller and the like. For example, currently if a rickshaw-puller pays us an installment of Rs 30 per day for 300 days for a rickshaw worth Rs 9,000, he may pay us the same rental for 600 days to own a soleckshaw worth Rs 20,000. This way we will reduce their drudgery and provide them with a better product to earn more and earn faster to improve their quality of life.”

As the soleckshaw is still in testing phase, a few challenges are yet to be addressed. The soleckshaw models on road are yet to weather the rainy season in India. “It is a key success factor for us. The motor is vulnerable but Crompton Greaves has assured that it has tested the motor under submerged conditions. We want that if the vehicle gets stranded in a flooded street, the motor should be able to pull it out of water. We are going to test that in the coming monsoon,” says Sinha.

“The size and placement of motor and battery were two major challenges we have overcome. The target was to optimize weight and the driving effort of the rickshaw-puller. We were to make a robust design which is highly reliable so that the user does not have to spend on repairs or maintenance for minimum 2-3 years from the time he buys a soleckshaw,” adds Sinha. “Plans to make solar battery charging stations functional across the country are under way. The challenge that remains is to optimize the cost drastically. Currently the cost of setting up one solar station is around Rs 10 lakh. We want to reduce the cost by 50 percent because we would want to set up one station within 3-5 km radius in every location by Commonwealth Games 2010. The cost of charging a battery is Rs 45 at present (which will work for 30–35 km), which is also something we are trying to cut.”

Although CSIR and CMERI are yet to add final touches to soleckshaw, the project is undoubtedly being awaited by a large number of rickshaw-pullers as it promises to change their life for the better.

FUTURE

Toyota Prius will be launched in 2010 offering a solar roof which will power the ventilation system of the car. In future, Toyota may also develop a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy. Tata Motors has announced that it will bring an all-electric vehicle with their new Indica EV which will be able to travel 125 miles on a single 8 hour charge. The new India EV is expected to be launched in 2010. CMERI is also trying to develop solar auto rickshaw. It also intends to develop electric cars partially powered by solar energy.

Narayanan Suresh is Group Editor of Technology Review India and Vantika Dixit is Senior Assistant Editor of Technology Review India.