Meghna Venkatesh
26th September 2020
Everybody has been trying to do something innovative for the last few months. Spending quality time with family while creating something never-made-before has helped the people of India cope with the 70-day lockdown and the slow reopening that followed.
A native of Araynkode village in Palakkad, Kerala has made a mini solar jeep on his own amid the lockdown that was imposed all over the country in order to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The designer of the mini jeep, Anoop, has ensured that it is an eco-friendly vehicle and does not create any sound or air pollution.
The mini jeep can ideally fit two adults easily. The vehicle does not require much effort to drive and can be driven even by children. Anoop is involved in electrical wiring works in his village. He decided to use his knowledge about electrical wiring along with channelizing his passion for jeeps to invent the solar mini jeep.
The height of this mini jeep is two feet, and the width is about three feet. Charging the battery for around four hours by means of solar energy will enable the jeep to travel at a speed of 40 kilometres per hour. Anoop has recycled the chain socket and the chain from an old two-wheeler of his, which are now attached to the wheels of the mini jeep.
Mathrubhumi reported that Anoop is happy that there is no more need for him to spend money on fuel, as fuel prices have been increasing rapidly. The motor of the vehicle will receive power through the battery charged with solar energy. The charged battery helps to create an electrical circuit that passes the power from the battery to the motor.
Anoop has been working on this mini jeep during his free time from the start of the country-wide lockdown and completed it in early September. “I have done painting and lathe works of the jeep with the help of my friends. I spent only Rs 30,000 on manufacturing this jeep,” Anoop said while talking to Mathrubhumi.
Now that the mini solar jeep is finished, Anoop has planned to reach out to the officials of the district for permission to take the jeep on the road. Anoop’s wife, Jijisha, and their son Ayan are very thrilled and proud of the mini solar jeep, as are the others from Araynkode. If this technology of his makes it into the Indian mainstream, it could potentially be a significant breakthrough for the man himself and the Indian auto industry.
(Source: Mathrubhumi) Edited by Satvik Pandey