Students of Bullayya College of Engineering for Women take a ride in the vehicle. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam more-in Unlike the normal four-wheeler, this vehicle does not have a clutch or a gear but operates through a switch to move forward and backward and comes with a brushless DC motor sans any noise. A team of 17 final year students of Dr. Bullayya College of Engineering for Women designed the solar-powered BLDC-driven electric vehicle. With 50% of the total cost being borne by students and the rest supported by the college management, the four-seater vehicle involved a total expenditure of ?75,000. The maximum speed of the vehicle is 40 km per hour and can carry 300 kg weight. “We wanted to bring out cost-effective energy-saving solution and set an example for other students,” says P. Rama Lakshmi, EEE student and meber of the team. Run by both electric charging and solar power, the eco-friendly vehicle is designed with a power rating of 1500 watts and attached with four batteries of 12 volts each which can be recharged on the go. “There is so much fun involved in bringing the automobile project into life which was earlier considered to be men’s domain,” says D. Gayatri, another student who was part of the project. Team work Giving credit to teamwork, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of EEE G. Anand says it took 45 days for the all-girl team to complete the project under his guidance. Secretary and correspondent of the college G. Madhukumar says such designs will make students to think innovatively and apply the knowledge learnt in classrooms. “The eco-friendly four-wheeler can be used as a golf cart or in the railway station to help commute senior citizens and differently-abled or assist patients in hospitals,” he told The Hindu, indicating that the vehicle will be kept on the campus.

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