Sivaraj has reinvented the humble cycle rickshaw, and has taken it to places where eco-friendly vehicles find ready patronage.
The 26-year-old Chennai-based innovator is working with Green Challenge, an NGO in The Netherlands, to popularise what he calls ‘eco cabs'.
While this pedalled cab will be offered in a few European countries to ferry people over short distances for free, its motorised version — powered by a battery and a solar unit, in addition to propulsion through pedals — is expected to hit the commercial market.
Concept maker
“I'm in discussion with a German automobile maker,” says Sivaraj, who studied MBA at Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh), and calls himself a ‘concept maker' with a sense of responsibility towards the environment. “The commercial version will have doors like a car and can seat four passengers and a driver.”
He is also keen on introducing the cab in India. “A manufacturer up North has shown interest in the project,” says Sivaraj, who will operate a few cabs — after they become a reality — as a free point-to-point service with the support of corporates.
“The pedals-only version will work in countries with cool climates. The hot climate in Chennai and most other parts of India makes snail-like travel by a pedalled vehicle torturous.”
Almost three years have sped by since he bought a cycle rickshaw at Parry's. It was shifted to Salem, with its chassis as the foundation for the eco cab.
The vehicle's body has been built with fiberglass. The prototype and the first few cabs are heavier than desired, because the body is run through with a metal framework. “Once the mould has been made, the body will be made entirely of fiberglass,” says Sivaraj.
A significant edge
Its eco-friendliness will, however, give the motorised cab its most significant edge over similar vehicles. “Even when I undertake projects for clients, I insist on green features,” says Sivaraj, who, for example, employed recyclable kappa-boards to make cloth hangers to advertise brands and services. “This is my own project, and I want to make it as green as possible!”
