JANGAON: Hit hard by the pandemic and exasperated with the rising fuel prices, an electronic goods technician here hit upon a unique idea to save money he spends on commuting.
Kurapati Vidyasagar replaced the petrol engine of his motorcycle with a converter and batteries, effectively converting it from a petrol-run vehicle to a cost-effective electric bike.
During the lockdown, Vidyasagar found it hard to fulfil the needs of his family, which was already struggling below the poverty line. Then, the rising fuel prices came as a body blow. Unable to afford the roughly two litres of petrol he required daily to attend calls from customers across the town, he had almost decided to wind up his repairing centre.
He needed to travel to his repairing centre from his and back twice everyday, besides riding to the areas where customers live or work.
This is when he stuck upon an idea that eventually turned adversity into opportunity. Vidyasagar somehow pooled in some money to purchase a machine that could convert his bike into an electric one.
He bought the machine online for Rs 7,500. He replaced the petrol tank with the machine and connected it to four 30Ah-capacity batteries. Vidyasagar claims he charges the batteries daily for about five hours using just one unit of electricity.
Speaking to TOI, he said his bike can cover a distance of 50km with the charged batteries. One of his colleagues, Anil, who is a motor vehicle mechanic, assisted him in making the bike electric.
The batteries on the two-wheeler charge automatically as they had used a dynamo. Vidyasagar said his daily expenditure of nearly Rs 200 on fuel has come down to Rs 10 per unit of electricity. Many citizens have said he should be helped by the government or charitable institutions.
