For M.N.V. Shwetha, a final-year student of electrical engineering from Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) in the city, it was a childhood dream to drive her own car. But she went a step further and built one.
So too was the case for Saima Zulfa and J. Nanditha, who are all are on the cusp of graduating in electrical engineering this year.
The three students from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering took up a project that is in sync with the automobile industry, which is going green and building electric vehicles.
Conceived as part of their academic requirement, the students were guided by K. Gopala Reddy, Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
Prof. Reddy came up with a battery-operated car as a project and allotted it to his three students.
Apart from meeting the academic requirement, it also addressed the issue of reducing air pollution and offsetting the rising cost of fuel.
“There were technical issues regarding the appropriate batteries and motors that were resolved and the project materialised,” said Prof. Reddy. The students spent about seven months and built the car using a 12v, 32 amp lead acid battery and a 1 KW motor.
The car has a mileage of around 70 km on a full charge and consumes only a unit of electricity for it, according to Ms. Nandita.
The initiative was led by Ms. Zulfa, whose father is also an electrical engineer and motivated her to pursue electrical engineering.
She has completed many projects, such as devising a fire alarm, sensors-related home automation and appliances, and is set to join Capgemini.
“We plan to make it more efficient and intend to tap solar power and refine the design,” said Ms. Shwetha, who intends to become a start-up entrepreneur.
The vehicle, which costs around ₹60,000 to build, can carry a load of 138 kg and was tested along the Outer Ring Road, said Prof. Reddy.
It is virtually noiseless, eco-friendly with zero emission, has a leg brake, and easy to drive on narrow roads, he added.
Praising the students, B. Sadashive Gowda, Principal, VVCE, said it is a prototype and a working model and the use of a lithium battery will double the mileage.
Many features can be refined and the institute was working with students to improve the model to make it commercially viable, added Prof. Gowda.