Bangalore: Naveen Rabelli’s tuk-tuk broke down the first time he rolled it from his garage. The electric engineer didn’t lose heart: now, he prepares to drive his tailored three-wheeler right to London.
Rabelli will leave India next year on a 9,600-km odyssey through 10 nations to promote the concept of environmentally friendly travel. His tuk-tuk, or automobile rickshaw, is powered completely by energy and solar energy.
“Just what better way exists to take a trip? The tuk-tuk is an Indian icon and this vehicle does not pollute the air by any means,” Rabelli, 33, told Reuters as he used along with a lake in Bangalore.
Given that quitting his work with Reva, a device of Indian automobile producer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd that makes electrical motor vehicles, Rabelli has invested two years playing with his second-hand tuk-tuk.
Furnished with a brand-new electric motor, battery and gearbox, the brilliant red motor vehicle – named Tejas, a Sanskrit acceptation splendor or shine – now bears little resemblance to the sputtering, diesel-fuelled three-wheelers omnipresent on India’s roads.
A tonne when totally filled, it weighs double a regular vehicle rickshaw. Its roofing system is made completely from solar powers and towel drapes secure its open sides from the aspects.
8 hrs of battery charge will certainly bring the tuk-tuk less than 50 miles, while 5 hrs’ exposure to the sun will certainly allow Tejas to press on for an additional 16 miles. That’s a bunch of reenergizing stops when driving to London.
The job has already cost Rabelli his life cost savings of concerning $6,000 (around Rs. 3,60,000). Before he leaves, he has to increase even more cash to reinforce the tuk-tuk’s rickety floor covering and to purchase a lithium-ion electric battery to replace the aged lead-acid power source.
He states, nonetheless, that his vehicle is a lot more efficient compared to a typical automobile rickshaw: the solar-electric version could run 100 km on much less than a dollar, while a tuk-tuk running on diesel would certainly need concerning $4 (around Rs. 240) to go the exact same proximity.
Rabelli plans to ride his tuk-tuk from Bangalore to Mumbai, before putting it on a boat to Iran. Picking up the journey on the Persian Gulf, he will ride to Turkey before crossing into Bulgaria and heading across Europe to the French port of Calais.
For most of the journey, Rabelli and travel companion Raoul Kopacka will sleep on mattresses in the back of the tuk-tuk.
Rabelli said he chose Kopacka, who plans to film a documentary of the journey, ahead of other applicants because the 26-year-old Austrian is just short enough to lie down full-length in the back of the vehicle.
