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A Sri Lanka-made biohybrid car
View(s):The Chief Engineer at the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has built a bio hybrid car, using mainly recycled material.
Story and pix by Amila Gamage
He claims the vehicle can travel up to 30 km once fully charged.
Saman Ariyaratne (52) said he built the vehicle during his spare time and it took him about 1 1/2 months to complete its manufacture.
The plan behind the concept is for it to create a mobile exercise machine rather than a stationary one.
The vehicle is designed according to two drive systems. It uses a 58 Watt lithium-ion battery and a motor discarded from a lawn mower machine.
The car needs to be pedaled for an hour in order to charge the battery fully. Once the battery is fully charged, it can travel for a distance of 30 km Mr Ariyaratne said.
Since it would be difficult pedal the car if it was too heavy, the machine has been designed to weigh just 40 kg.
Mr Ariyaratne stresses that though the bio-hybrid car is not a new concept, the design and drive system of his vehicle is his own and plans to patent it.
The car was built at a cost of Rs.135,000 and its designer says he plans to develop it further.
Motorists and pedestrians alike, were amazed as Mr. Ariyaratne demonstrated the vehicle’s road-worthiness
The main roads did not prove to be a major challenge to this vehicle
The hybrid car weighs around 30 kg to allow for pedaling needed to charge the battery
The newest hybrid to hit the roads! its engine is from a discarded lawn mower
Mr. Ariyaratne designed the vehicle to be used as a mobile exercise machine