Students turn old scooter into e-vehicle

BENGALURU: Ever come across vintage two-stroke Yamaha RX100 and RX135 bikes or Bajaj Chetak scooters running on battery? Well, final-year mechanical engineering students of Sapthagiri College of Engineering have created an e-scooter out of an old Bajaj Chetak rusting in the corner of a garage in Shivajinagar.

The undergraduate students bought the scooter for Rs 500 after bargaining with a scrap dealer and then dismantled it. They replaced the engine with battery discharge and DC motor. “The DC controller helped in controlling the headlights, indicator and the horn,” said Hemant Kumar, one of the students.

The team worked on the project day and night for two months to reconstruct the bike. “It is a proud moment for the college as these students achieved the feat at a budget of Rs 12,000,” said KL Shivabasappa, principal, Sapthagiri College of Engineering.

Worried by the spiralling prices of motor fuel, the students wanted to come up with a vehicle that will reduce fuel consumption. “The e-scooter needs to be charged 3-4 hours and consumes 3.5 units of electricity before it can hit the road. The vehicle is equipped with a socket on its left and can be easily charged with an AC adapter,” said Prashant, professor of bio-technology, Sapthagiri College of Engineering.

The college is thinking of approaching Bajaj to see if their prototype could be produced commercially.

Cheap plough machine to help farmers

Students of Sapthagiri College of Engineering have also created a ploughing machine that can be operated manually. The machine has a 25 litre storage drum to keep seeds and fertilisers. As the plough rotates, seeds and fertilisers fall to the ground. It could be a cheaper option for farmers compared to other ploughing machines in the market, said M Manikanta, a student.