Energy Autonomous Solar/battery Auto Rickshaw
Srdjan Lukic 1, Priscilla Mulhall 2, and Ali Emadi 3
1 Semiconductor Power Electronics Center, North Carolina State University, smlukic@ncsu.edu
2 Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, mulpri@iit.edu
3 Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, emadi@iit.edu
Abstract
Auto rickshaws are small, three-wheeled vehicles which are used extensively in many Asian countries for transport
of people and goods. The vehicles are small and narrow allowing for easy maneuverability in congested Asian
metropolises. In India, auto rickshaws are commonly used as taxis, as they are very inexpensive to operate. Despite
the apparent advantages in the vehicle design, auto rickshaws present a huge pollution problem in major Indian
cities. This is due to the use of an inefficient engine, typically a 2 or 4 stroke, with almost no pollution control. This
paper presents a transportation system based on auto rickshaws that operate in an environmentally friendly way.
Existing vehicles are to be replaced by an all-electric counterpart redesigned in a manner which improves the
efficiency of the vehicle. In addition, a recharging infrastructure is proposed which will allow for the batteries to
be charged using mostly renewable energy sources such as solar power. Thus far, we have looked at the existing
vehicle and the environment in which it operates, made a model of the vehicle in ADVISOR software, produced a
prototype electric vehicle, and investigated recharging infrastructure requirements and designs. In particular, our
proposed recharging infrastructure consists of a central recharging station which supplies distribution points with
charged batteries. Since we aim to incorporate renewable energies in the infrastructure, we used HOMER software
to design a feasible infrastructure system.
Keywords
battery electric vehicle, auto rickshaw, recharging in-
frastructure, energy storage, renewable energy
1. INTROD