Jodhpur: In a one-of-a-kind initiative in the state of Rajasthan, a Jaipur-based startup is converting old scooters run on petrol into electric vehicles. A brainchild of a 67-year-old woman, the innovation is gaining traction in the city after its exhibition at the Rajasthan Digifest recently held in the city of Jodhpur.
Rajasthan based start-up revamps old vehicles into e-bikes Madhu Kirodi, the 67-year-old founder of the North Electric Automobiles Company, is the main brain behind this initiative. Madhu tells that the idea popped into her mind when she thought of putting her husband's old scooter to use. "It was my husband's scooter and we were attached to it. I wanted to preserve it and asked my children if they can convert it into an electric one. They managed to do that and then went on to convert more such vehicles into electric ones before we finally built a start-up out of it," says Madhu.
Anand Kirodi, Madhu's son, who was the main work-man behind the conversion is currently working as an engineer in a multinational company. Following his mother's approach of valuing an innovative spirit over a job, he successfully executed the conversion of the petrol-run vehicle into an electric one. Anand says he had gotten basic training for such conversion while he was in the UK on a work trip.
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"We started the conversion with our own vehicle in around February. It was my father's scooter - a 1975 model of Bajaj scooter. Once we were successful in doing that, we also converted a Splendour bike - a 2009 model next. Thereafter, the whole initiative became a start-up and many people started approaching us. It is a good way to put your investments to use. You don't have to let your old vehicle go to waste or invest in a new one. Just convert it into an electric one at a much lower price," Anand said.
Shedding more light on the expenses for this conversion, Anand informed that the old scooters and motorcycles can be converted for Rs 30,000. "An electric scooter travels 60 km on a single charge, while the motorcycle covers 120 km. The cost of charging one time is as less as Rs 11 on an average," he said, further adding that the converted vehicles can be registered with the Transport Department once they are ready to use. "The registration is done in the name of the previous owner of the scooter. The owner can also use the old vehicle number, but with a green number plate," Anand added.
The initiative, after catching more attention at the Digifest, soon snowballed into a popular one with hundreds reaching the Digifest with their old petrol-run vehicles to get converted into an electric vehicle. With the recent growth in the demand and usage of electric vehicles, this initiative is being applauded for its economical as well as environmentally conscious approach.
