Sri Lanka To Make Solar Cars

[Le Sabre]

Electromobiles (Pvt) Ltd will manufacture solar powered electronic cars in Sri Lanka from next year. Speaking to Daily News Business CEO/ Managing Director of Electromobiles (Pvt) Ltd Gihan Wijethunga said they expect to commence commercial production of the car in May next year.

The company will invest Rs. 30 million for the project and the project will provide around 600 direct and indirect job opportunities.

This will be a passenger car with a solar powered panel fixed on top of the car and this solar panel will generate power to the car. This electronic car needs to be charged six to eight hours per day. It will cost only Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per kilometre.

A fully charged car could run 120 kms and solar panels will generate additional energy on the way during sunny weather where it enables the car to run an additional 30 kms without any cost.

In average, a car runs less than 50 miles per day and this is an ideal passenger car for people who focus on the environmental impact and fuel cost.

We wanted to position this as leisure drive car. We will be importing some components of the car from China and over 30 per cent value addition will be done in Sri Lanka. Our Chinese partners will provide technical know-how and other technical assistance for the project. We are planing to have our plant in Piliyandala and initially the plant will manufacture eight cars per month , Wijethunga said.

In the future when volumes increase, the company expects to increase value addition and manufacture most of the components in Sri Lanka. However there is a good response from customers even before the car has been introduced to the market. Thirty customers have already placed orders with us , he said.

After establishing in the local market company they hope to enter into export markets with Bangladesh and Cambodia being initially earmarked. Electromobiles also planing to introduce solar power conversion facility for all the vehicles in near future. At the moment, they have already introduced solar power motor bikes to the market and there are over 2500 solar powered electric bikes running on Sri Lankan roads , he said.

There is a 25 per cent duty concession for eco-friendly vehicle imports to the country. However it is important to evaluate the quality of these vehicles.

The Government should focus on providing duty concessions for eco-friendly vehicle manufactures too. Facilitating these type of industries could save foreign exchange for the country , he said.

http://www.electromobiles.lk

http://www.electromobiles.lk/profileelectromobiles.pdf

source : LNP.com

[Arc Angel]

This will be a passenger car with a solar powered panel fixed on top of the car and this solar panel will generate power to the car. This electronic car needs to be charged six to eight hours per day. It will cost only Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per kilometre.

A fully charged car could run 120 kms and solar panels will generate additional energy on the way during sunny weather where it enables the car to run an additional 30 kms without any cost.

In average, a car runs less than 50 miles per day and this is an ideal passenger car for people who focus on the environmental impact and fuel cost.

Good initiative.

20 - 25 per kilometer doesn't exactly sound cheap though. Any petrol car doing over 5.8 kmpl would be more cost effective. Even factoring in the extra 30km that you could run every 120 km.

Def good for the green party though. (and no, this is NOT a political refference)

Edited November 10, 2008 by Arc Angel

[Thanushka]

This will be a passenger car with a solar powered panel fixed on top of the car and this solar panel will generate power to the car. This electronic car needs to be charged six to eight hours per day. It will cost only Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per kilometre.

A fully charged car could run 120 kms and solar panels will generate additional energy on the way during sunny weather where it enables the car to run an additional 30 kms without any cost.

In average, a car runs less than 50 miles per day and this is an ideal passenger car for people who focus on the environmental impact and fuel cost.

Can't say that this will be a good investment since the cost per km is higher than a avg. petrol or diesel car. And also the cost of changing batteries after abt. 1 or 2 yrs will be heavy.

[Devinda_Z]

i recall reading the article in the papers and the cost being 25 CENTS not Rs.

someones gonna have to get hold of the original write up and confirm cuz i can't seem to find it in the Daily News online archives..

[MasterDon]

i recall reading the article in the papers and the cost being 25 CENTS not Rs.

if that's the case.it should be an interesting project..wonder how it'll do in our somewhat conservative market...

well atleast we're not gonna run out sun light in SL

[MasterDon]

Electromobiles (Pvt) Ltd will manufacture solar powered electronic cars in Sri Lanka from next year. Speaking to Daily News Business CEO/ Managing Director of Electromobiles (Pvt) Ltd Gihan Wijethunga said they expect to commence commercial production of the car in May next year.

one of my cousins bought an electric bike from these guys about a month ago...it's doin pretty ok so far...but it has some trouble negotiating hills..

[isam]

one of my cousins bought an electric bike from these guys about a month ago...it's doin pretty ok so far...but it has some trouble negotiating hills..

Explains... electric motors draw up a lot of current when they are stuck... same effect when its loaded with heavy loads... not only it would drain any battery very fast, may damage the battery in the process.

This is where a good gearbox would come handy.

Edited December 28, 2008 by isam

[JadeyBlitzen]

what a load of rubbish! do they really think that this will make people move out of their 10 rupee/km corollas and buy something that looks like a porta-loo???

i wish someone would bring something really cool that could improve our tastes and make us look good in front of other nations. and that does not include a wannabe g-wiz