PV Electric Tricycle for Under $550

August 8th, 2011 by Glenn Meyers

PV-powered tricycle for under $550

Here is a nice find for anybody searching for PV-powered bikes or trikes that can be built on the cheap.

A young man from Pakistan, Farrukh Khan, has built an interesting homemade solar-powered electric tricycle for a price tag that comes well under $600. Khan even provides detailed photo and a design template on the Instructables website for a small monthly subscription fee ($1.95 – 3.95).

Khan claims he created his green three-wheel machine, named the Solaron, in less than three weeks at the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore in Pakistan. The device is some seven feel long, weighs 132 pounds, and sits very low to the ground.

The unit’s battery powers a 24-volt electric motor that drives the rear wheel using a chain and sprockets. Khan reports his Solaron can travel at a top speed of around 20 mph with a rage of some 43 miles before having to recharge – not a bad deal for inner city errands.

Unlike a traditional tricycle, featuring one front wheel, the Solaron has two front wheels and one rear wheel. A T-shaped aluminum framework makes up the front of the vehicle, with the back constructed from an old bicycle frame.

The price for building the PV trike totaled $540 (PKR 46,670). Khan has posted detailed build instructions online for those who want to try and create their own variation. A video is provided to demonstrate how the Solaron rides and turns.

Khan’s Instructables website provides this information below for making a modified trike:

Here are the trike’s components:

Chassis Solar Panel
Motor Battery
Steering Mechanism
Chain and sprocket mechanism
Charging circuit

Here is its configuration:

Length: 7 feet
Width: 3.5 feet
Height: 4.5 feet
Weight: 132 pounds or 60 kilograms
Motor: 24 Volts DC, 17 Amps
Battery: 12 Volts, 80 AH
Materials: Aluminum, Steel and Cast Iron

The vehicle is not yet commercially available, although it may be in the near future, Kahn says, indicating he will keep people informed about any pertinent developments with the product.

Photo: Instructables

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Tags: bicycles and tricycles, bikes under $550, do-it-yourself PV bikes, Farrukh Khan, green transportation, Instructable, Pakistan, PVbikes

About the Author

Glenn Meyers is a writer, producer, and director. Meyers was editor and site director of Green Building Elements, a contributing writer for CleanTechnica, and is founder of Green Streets MediaTrain, a communications connection and eLearning hub. As an independent producer, he's been involved in the development, production and distribution of television and distance learning programs for both the education industry and corporate sector. He also is an avid gardener and loves sustainable innovation.