Design and analysis of solar electric rickshaw: A green transport model

The auto rickshaw is one of the important transport medium for end to end connectivity in many Asian cities. In order to reduce the pollution, the auto rickshaw with compressed natural gas (CNG) compatible kit is also available. It is a cheap transport solution in comparison to other mode of transport due to continuous increase in oil price and higher per Km travelling cost. The battery operated electric rickshaw is an alternative option to replace the auto rickshaw as it is environment friendly and the overall system cost is much less than conventional auto rickshaw. The electric rickshaw battery is charged by grid electricity, which is costlier and there is inconvenience associated with the charging and replacing of battery. In this paper, a solar assisted hybrid electric rickshaw is proposed. The proposed model is a modified form of conventional electric rickshaw. The proper analysis to show the acceptability of the model is also presented. The survey of e-rickshaw in New Delhi is used as a base case for the proper analysis. The Matlab ADVISOR (Advanced Vehicle Simulator) and HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables) software are used for the performance analysis. Further, a concept of smart solar charging station for the metropolitan city is also discussed.