Solar-Powered Retrofit Electric Three-Wheeler for Multipurpose goods carrier with manual pedaling

Indian villages, towns and cities have high air and noise pollution caused by transport vehicles, especially petrol/dieselpowered three-wheelers. Conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) driven 3 and 4 wheelers are against environment friendly and those are having very less efficiency when compared to EVs (Electric Vehicles). This paper details the overall construction and development of a Solarpowered Electric Three-Wheeler for multipurpose cargo applications with optional manual pedalling. Existing and developed solar-assisted electric auto rickshaw three-wheeler is investigated, as well as future conceptual designs for electric three-wheeler and the modern design study, real time development of the subsequent vehicle. This proposed solar powered retrofitted electric three-wheeler for multipurpose good carrier with manual pedalling is intended to match and exceed the existing vehicle’s performance and efficiency. We commence the subsequent all-purpose design of the EV three wheeler in this paper as version 1k where the conventional vehicle as version 10k. The technological improvement endeavour for version 1k is to diminish the total electric power needed for propulsion with combine of sprockets for torque increments, optimized traction batteries which is charged either by PV modules or grid as optional, forward-reverse drive train preferences are covered, real time model is built for carrying 500 kg of pay load and several configurations are analysed for further improvements. This paper revealed how a manual pedal cycle rickshaw is retrofitted in to PMDC motor powered cargo cycle rickshaw with physical pedalling as optional. It is shown that these rickshaws can endow with a safe, environment-friendly, energy-efficient and costeffective transport system in villages, towns and cities of India for multipurpose cargo EVs. Additionally commercialization, technology, social and policy issues are discussed for large-scale introduction of these rickshaws. This paper is developed as a project an initiative from Rural Energy Centre of Gandhigram Rural Institute – Deemed University. Index Terms – India, ICE, EVs, PV modules, Battery, PMDC motor, Three-wheeler, pollution, rickshaw, traction, drive train, sprockets, torque, retrofit, cargo, payload, Gandhigram.