Car of the future for oil reliant Sri Lanka

Anything that is 100% pollution free seems almost impossible. Sri Lankan company Ecowheels (Pvt.) Ltd. however believes that they have found the ideal solution for the problem of vehicle-related pollution in urban areas.

Enter the ‘Electrica’, Sri Lanka’s first ever electricity-powered car, “the most suitable alternative to petrol, diesel or gas convertible cars,” according to Nissanka Ediriwira, Chairman of Ecowheels, speaking at a recent press conference. The Chinese-made car can travel up to 110 km on a seven-hour charge and consists of eight 12V batteries churning out 48V and 3000KW of power.

The maximum speed the car can travel at is 65 kmph, making it the ideal vehicle for weekly urban travel.

The idea, according to Ediriwira, is to commute using it during the day and charge it every night. The battery can be charged 360 times, giving it a usage period of roughly one year.

The fume and noise free vehicle appears to be the ultimate solution, but the price still stands as a problem for the common man, at Rs. 1.6 million plus VAT. At their press conference, Ediriwira expressed his disappointment at the authorities for not encouraging the venture. “In other countries they give a duty concession, this is the only country in the world where the duty has been raised,” he said, referring to the increased vehicle duties imposed by the latest budget. Some Rs.900, 000 of the price is to cover the many road development taxes, customs duties and tariffs that have to be borne by the importers.

The Electrica would eliminate the problem of importing fuel at fast-rising prices, for this car, as Ediriwira says “does not carry the legacy of even a barrel of oil.” He said Champika Ranawaka, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, has shown an interest in the project, but that the same cannot be said for the Treasury or the Ministry of Finance. The Electrica has a very low maintenance cost since no oil changes or the like are required, and also the cost per 1 kilometre is Rs. 1 -2 even at the highest rate of domestic tariff, compared to the Rs.8- Rs.10 spent on normal vehicles.

“It is one fifth the cost of other fossil fuel cars,” was the comment of Dr. Ray Wijewardena, Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa and prominent environmentalist, who was also present.