The major challenge the world is facing now is Global Warming. In India, unemployment is also a major challenge in addition to Global Warming.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to tackle these two challenges along with many others created a vision, which it named CSIR-800 (empowering 800 million Indians). Within a record time of 8 months in 2008, on the day of the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, The Father of Our Nation, The October 2nd 2008, they released the Mark –I version of SOLECKSHAW.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Sheila Dixit launched Soleckshaw – The Solar-Electric Rickshaw, the Eco-friendly, economical urban transport. The Union Minister of Science Technology and Earth Sciences Kapil Sibal and Prof. Samir K. Bhramachari, the Director General, CSIR were also present during the function organized at Chandni Chowk Metro Station, New Delhi.

Organizations involved in the making of Soleckshaw:

1.       Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) – Designed, Developed and Prototyped Soleckshaw.

2.       Central Electronics Limited (CEL) – Setup a solar charging station so that they can swap batteries for Soleckshaw.

3.       Crompton Greaves – Following the specifications given by CMERI, developed a low power, high torque DC motor for the first time in India.

4.       In addition, many other organizations like AMPRI, TDP, and CRD and so on.

Soleckshaw: It is a new-age solar-electric powered rickshaw. It is eco-friendly, cheap and ergonomically designed comfortable even to senior citizens in contrast to our old normal rickshaws. This is a zero emission vehicle with a carbon tier print of zero. It works mostly with solar power and hence incurs very less costs.

If you go into the specifications of Soleckshaw, it is pedal driven assisted with a motor. The motor itself is a BLDC hub motor, 240-350W, 36V with regenerative capabilities. The transmission is again a differential with two ratios and is a chain drive. It has a three wheel braking.  The seating capacity is two passengers and the driver. It can reach to a top speed of 15 kilometers per hour.

The purpose of Soleckshaw is a comfortable and cheaper urban transport even affordable to the masses. Most of our Indian cities are highly polluted largely caused (almost 60% in every city) due to vehicle emissions. This problem is reducing automatically with the entry of this product into the transport industry. There is a plan to mass manufacture soleckshaw so it can use in all the cities and the unemployed masses earn a living. Therefore Soleckshaw achieves both of its objectives of fighting against India’s two major challenges – Global Warming and Unemployment.

CSIR is also planning to release its Mark II and Mark III versions in 2010. So for now,

Let us welcome the India’s incredible – ,  – SOLECKSHAW.