JANGAON: At a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing, an electronic shop owner has come up with an innovative solution to run his bike without using petrol. Kurapati Vidya Sagar, who hails from a BPL family, has managed to do away with fuel expenses that used to go up to Rs 200 on a daily basis, by replacing the internal combustion engine in his bike with an electric motor.
Though a resident of Jangaon, since he lives seven to eight km away from the shop, Vidya Sagar needs the bike for travel. Meanwhile, the outbreak of Covid, not only hit his income, but also pushed his family to the brink of poverty.
Realising that he can’t afford to spend so much on fuel, while his family is struggling to make both ends meet, the innovator in Vidya Sagar woke up and started pondering ways with which he can do away with the expense.
He measured the size of the regular battery in his bike, sketched it out with components, and began working on replacing the engine with a battery. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” you say? You are absolutely right. It did not take Vidya Sagar much time to develop a compatible battery and remodel his vehicle into a rechargeable two-wheeler.
Pointing out that the remodelled bike can now go at a maximum speed of 50 kmph, Vidya Sagar says that the bike can cover around 70 km on a single charge. At the same time, the batteries can also be charged using solar power. Speaking to Express, Kurapati Vidya Sagar said that he completed his Intermediate education several years back.
“After purchasing a motor worth Rs 7,500 online, I replaced the petrol engine with it and connected it to four 30 Ah-capacity batteries. With the help of a friend, I placed the converter in place of the petrol tank. The batteries will get charged automatically while the vehicle is in motion. The batteries take only five hours for charging,” says Vidya Sagar.
Mentioning that the main reason why he began thinking of alternatives was the need to start door-to-door service after the outbreak of Covid, Vidya Sagar said that the number of customers visiting the shop had gone down during that time.“Now, I only have to pay Rs 10 per unit of electricity to get it charged,” he adds.