A group of students in Karachi have converted an 800cc Mehran into electric car, setting a new example for the automobile sector.
Electric cars are increasingly getting popular for being environment-friendly and efficient. The government is also making efforts for the promotion of electric vehicles in the country.
Mubashir Hasan, a student who worked on the project, said they replaced the vehicle with an electric motor. Another student, Ahmed Zaheer, said they have tested the vehicle which can carry 4-5 passengers.
The car can travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour. The students spent PKR 250,000-300,000 on the vehicle and said it can run for up to ten years without replacement.
Their teacher, Abid Kareem, said they started working on the project of coverting mehran into electric car over a year ago. The team bought a car and had to secure spare parts from across the world as they were not available in Pakistan.
Ahmed said the project took six months to complete but it was delayed by two months due to their exams. He said the biggest obstacle faced was having the right battery as it has a maximum life of seven years and the latest technology is not available in the country.
The car contains an electric motor, lithium-based battery and a display panel which provides information to the driver. They have installed a parking assistance system in the vehicle. There is also an attached charger. The vehicle takes five hours to completely charge and consumes electricity worth PKR100.
The students thanked their university for providing the opportunity to introduce the project. They expressed hope that Pakistan adopts the latest technology as fuel-based vehicles are getting obsolete around the world.
Their teacher Abid urged the government to provide subsidies to encourage the growth of electric vehicles in the country.
