India’s Solar Rickshaw

Enter Delhi, India’s second largest metropolis, resting on the banks of the River Yamuna and housing more than 17.3 million people. With such a high population density (Delhi is the sixth largest city in the world by population), you can expect a good deal of congestion when crossing the street, congestion which has spawned a bustling rickshaw business in Delhi and other Indian metropoles over the years.

Joining the global wave of eco-friendly gadgets and innovations, the Indian government, in a public-private partnership, has introduced the soleckshaw — or solar-powered rickshaw. These hybrid solar- and human-powered vehicles, also called “green rickshaws,” have been in trial phase since October of 2008. They combine the traditional bicycle rickshaw with a 36 volt battery that enables the soleckshaw to maintain relatively fast speeds of roughly 15 kilometers per hour as well as offer riders a place to charge their cell phone or other mobile device.

Photo Credit: diametrik

The soleckshaws themselves are not equipped with solar panels, yet. Makers are hoping to have updated, high-end, and self propelled models out in 2010. For now drivers must report to a solar powered charging station centrally located within a certain area of the city. A soleckshaw may run about 60 km on a full charge.

The Indian government is hoping that these zero emission rickshaws (as are traditional rickshaws, to be fair) will attract attention from the middle class, perhaps reducing car traffic on busy Delhi streets. According to India’s Department of Science and Technology, the public side of soleckshaw development, 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector. The soleckshaw represents the first zero emission powered transport vehicle in India.

The soleckshaw is just in its trial phase, but there are already some stark criticisms of the venture. For one, critics point out that traditional, pedal-powered rickshaws are non-pollutant by nature, which leads to the second issue: expense. The soleckshaw costs about three times as much as a rickshaw. So how can rickshaw pullers, many whom barely afford their current rickshaw, buy a new solar powered version? In addition, it is as yet unclear who will pay for the electricity to charge the soleckshaw, batteries, and other expenses.

In response to that issue, the Indian government is offering guaranteed loans to rickshaw pullers who wish to upgrade. Still, guaranteed or not, an unaffordable loan is unaffordable and could prove “toxic” for both government and loanee. One critic argues that the rickshaw market in India is “far from saturated” and a more complete plan would also subsidize the conventional cycle riders as well as the “soleckshaw-wallahs” while a market for the solar version is built up.

Photo Credit: madpai

It would seem that a solar powered rickshaw, especially one which carried its own panels, would be invaluable to crowded cities in India and elsewhere. Yet critics raise some good questions that will require answering before widespread production takes off. That, I suppose, is why they call it a trial phase. It would also be nice, especially in cities like Delhi where traffic can be very chaotic, to alter the infrastructure to suit both solar or human powered rickshaws, bicycles, etcetera…sort of like the bike lanes popping up in many U.S. cities.

We’ll just have to see how the soleckshaw pans out over the next few years. It could help change the face of urban transportation, at least within a localized area. I can picture a world where we use soleckshaws around the neighborhood, a light rail to get around the city, and a bullet train to travel far and wide.

Via Cleantech Group

Posted on May 1st in Solar Products by Dan.