Kannur man makes petrol-electric hybrid scooter amid fuel price hike

Kannur: When the fuel price keeps surging, a man has designed a hybrid scooter that uses petrol as well as electricity for a cool ride. K Sujesh, a native of Thazhe Chowa, has successfully carried out a trial run of the scooter on the premises of his house. Now, he is planning to approach the road transport office for obtaining clearance for technical and safety features.

"The scooter will cover 70 kilometres after charging the battery for Rs 8. But you might need at least a litre of petrol for covering the same distance. At present, the automobile companies are launching hybrid scooters equipped with engines that work on both petrol and electricity," said Sujesh.

With electricity, the scooter will cover 40 kilometres and it has a mileage of 80-100 km while using petrol. Sujesh has developed the vehicle after experimenting on a TVS scooter. The hybrid scooter has got separate keys to operate in petrol and electricity.

In the electric system, the motor will function with a lithium-ion battery. It will take at least five hours to fully charge the battery. While riding on electricity, the scooter will not make any noise.

"I decided to carry out the experiment considering the frequent surge in petrol prices. I had purchased a second-hand scooter for this experiment. I confirmed that it was a success once my friends took a ride on the scooter," said Sujesh.

Sujesh was a temporary employee in the telecom department. Later, he moved to Dubai. Four years back, he returned to his native place. Since then, he has been assisting his father in a home appliances repair shop.