Zoomi Life

If you’ve ever been to India, then chances are you’ve seen the ubiquitous rickshaw - the human-powered transportation device that seems to be on every city street. Rickshaws provide transportation for millions of people in India, but they certainly don’t do rickshaw drivers any good - imagine riding a bicycle uphill - all day - and you’ll start getting a semblance of what daily life is like for millions of Indian rickshaw drivers.

The new soleckshaw solar-powered rickshaw hopes to change the lives of those millions of rickshaw drivers for the better.

The soleckshaw is basically motor-assisted bicycle that features a motor driven by a 36-volt battery recharged - or swapped - at a solar charging station. The soleckshaw can carry three passengers and can go about 12.5 miles per hour. Drivers can drive under their own power on flat roads, then switch on the motor to go up hills or give themselves a break when the load gets too heavy.

The whole idea of rickshaw transportation is seen by some as inhumane and cruel, with many drivers coming from the country’s poorest areas and working 10 to 12 hour days, seven days a week. A battery powered variation would reduce wear and tear on drivers, and that’s good news for a group of people already living in poverty.

Unfortunately, at $450 a piece, the soleckshaws are beyond the reach of many drivers, meaning a lot of micro-loan funding will be needed to make them commonplace. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, which developed the soleckshaw, says it’s working on just such a program.

This Post via Wired.