Srinagar-based professor makes Kashmir Valley's 1st solar car to offset rising fuel prices

A mathematics teacher and innovator from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, invented the affordable solar-powered electric car. Bilal Ahmed, who is from Tangmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, has been working on this project for over 13 years and has finally reached a milestone. He appears to have built his solar-powered electric car out of the body of a Maruti Suzuki 800, which has been covered with solar panels on all sides to harness solar power. In addition, he has done slight modifications to the body of the car to accommodate the solar panels.

Speaking to ANI, Ahmed said that he wanted to make a car for the disabled but couldn't pursue this due to financial constraints. "I wanted to make a car for disabled people, but financial constraints made it difficult. The idea of a solar car intrigued me...that it`s free energy... and recently I also read in newspapers that petrol prices are expected to rise in 10 years," he said. He said that he used to watch and study various luxurious cars which were made since 1950.

J&K | Bilal Ahmed, an engineer & a professor from Srinagar gives Valley its 1st solar car. "Wanted to make a car for the disabled but financial constraints made it difficult. Idea of a solar car intrigued me...it's free energy...& petrol prices expected to rise in 10 yrs,"he says pic.twitter.com/fTWtSmLmpB — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022

Breaking the notion that only the elite can have luxurious rides, Ahmed made a solar car that does not only give a luxurious feel but is also affordable for the common people." I thought of something to give a luxurious feel to the people and started working on the car and modified it by watching various videos and started adding the features in it," he said.

"In Kashmir, most of the time, the weather is gloomy. I used solar panels which can give higher efficiency even on low sunlight days. I went to many solar companies to check the efficiency of solar panels and worked on this solar innovative car," he added.

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At times, the doors of the car, when parked at the place, received light sunlight. To overcome this problem, he made a gullwing door that opens upwards like the ones in a Ferrari. Making and balancing the gullwing doors was a challenge as well as a difficult task for him, Ahmad said. He has driven the car on the roads, and he received a good response from the passers-by.

(With inputs from ANI)

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