It has been 13 times of perseverance and struggle for Bilal Ahmad, a mathematics schoolteacher in the capital of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), to produce the region’s first solar- electric machine that operates fully on solar energy and can also be charged with electrical energy.
Ahmad, 40, came an late sensation in the region after his filmland and vids of the auto went viral on social media last month.
While talking with Anadolu Agency at his home in Srinagar, Ahmad expressed surprise that his product has entered such a positive response and recognition from the public.
“I noway imagined that my invention will induce similar positive gestures from people, ” he said, pertaining to being called” Elon Musk of Kashmir” when his solar- electric auto went viral.
In 2009, Ahmad was deeply touched by an composition in which he read that in the coming times, petrol prices would increase exponentially, making it delicate for the average person to go a auto.
“Also I decided to develop commodity that people could go,” Ahmad explained.
Times of struggle
When Ahmad finished his civil engineering degree in 2007 from a council in the Indian state of Bengaluru, he was eager to put his bents and moxie to use.
Two times latterly, he began working on his dream design of creating a solar auto that was affordable to the general public.
He began by reading papers and watching vids on social media to more understand how he might carry out his vision and make it a reality.
“I progressed with careful planning and exploration for this design. I made certain that anything I was trying to do was unique and effective,” he explained.
So, he began reading and learning about buses from across the world that came into actuality in the 50s. He was inspired by the work of Delorean, an mastermind and inventor from Detroit in the US who possessed the machine company DMC.
Still, Ahmad had to face a lot of hurdles to complete his dream design. The cycles of violence, limited coffers, and fiscal difficulties left him demoralized, though he didn’t give up.
“When I started working on the design, I knew there would be problems arising out of the situation, but I kept going with it,” Ahmad said.
He spent nearly $18,000 on the design and employed at least 10- 15 workers to complete the design.
Affordable
Ahmad has entered accolades ranging from former IIOJK chief minister Omar Abdullah to Indian industrialist and tech Goliath Anand Mahindra, who, while esteeming his vehicle, offered him backing in expanding the solar- electric vehicle into a full- fledged model.
His machine is a four- seat luxury solar auto, unlike other solar buses , which generally have two seats, he says.
The auto contains monocrystalline solar panels attached to its face area on the front, upper, and backside, which are exposed to the sun to induce maximum energy to run the auto. Also, the auto has the advantage of charging through electricity if there’s lower vacuity of solar energy.
“This auto is completely automatic and has gullwing doors to suit the space limits, ” he explained as he drove it.
Ahmad said he’d a many meetings with the platoon of Anand Mahindra to work on his product, and that his focus, for now, is to patent it as soon as possible so that common people can buy it.
still, also it’s just a business model, “If your invention isn’t for the common good. My thing is for the common good, and I’m working toward it,” he said.
