SRINAGAR: Elon Musk became Elon Musk because he had the resources. If only Bilal Ahmed also had the resources, he believes he too could have become the Elon Musk of India. The mathematics teacher and self-taught innovator from Srinagar has made a solar-powered e-car with gullwing doors after 13 years of hard work. Had he received financial support, Bilal believes he could have achieved this years ago and who knows, he may even have given the Tesla boss a run for his money!
Bilal has done civil engineering from Gousia College of Engineering, Bengaluru, and teaches mathematics to Class 11 and 12 students at a private tuition centre. He has been working on the project since 2009. He got the idea of using solar energy to run a car after reading an article in a newspaper that talked about the world facing a petrol and crisis in 15-20 years.
“I started the project with hydrogen but faced a lot of problems and also, it was dangerous to work with hydrogen. So, I gave up the idea,” says Bilal. He then worked on converting his Nissan Micra 1988 model vehicle with petrol engine into a solar-powered e-car. The solar panels are remote-controlled and can change direction with the Sun’s direction.
Asserting that his car is not a proto-type, Bilal says, “It is an automatic and complete solar car with re-generatve brakes. We can charge the batteries also. I have used lead acid batteries which generate 72-volt which gives good mileage with high speed. If I use a lithium battery, it will give a mileage of 200-300 kms with 100 kms/per hour speed.”
According to Bilal, the solar panels show 20-30 per cent less efficiency because of the weather in Srinagar. “That’s why I have used monocrystalline solar panels, which work in less visibility,” he says. Bilal has spent over `15 lakh on the making the car and says its price will be at par with those of petrol and diesel cars. He is thinking of further upgrading the e-car. His only regret? “I was not financially sound. Had somebody supported my project financially, I would have become the Elon Musk of India by now.”