Srinagar School Teacher's Solar Aided Car
'I want people to make use of advanced technology at affordable prices'
Bilal Ahmad, a mathematics teacher and innovator from Srinagar has made a solar car which is not only luxurious but also affordable for common people.
Hailing from the Sanat Nagar area of Srinagar, Bilal has been working on this project for over 11 years and today he drives his solar car with confidence. The innovative car works on solar energy and has solar panels all over the surface.
Ahmad studied the various luxury cars that have been made since 1950, and about an engineer and innovator named DeLorean who started the company DMC, which motivated him to make a car which is luxurious and affordable.
"Cars like Mercedes, Ferrari, BMW are just a dream for a common person. Only a few people are able to afford it while it remains a dream for others to drive such cars and roam in it. I thought of something to give a luxurious feel to the people as well," Ahmad told The Citizen.
He started working on the car and modified it by watching various videos and started adding features to it. Initially he wanted to make a car for people with disabilities but due to his financial conditions he couldn't realise the idea. "The government didn't help me at the time. I was not financially sound so I couldn't take the cost of the innovation."
Keeping in view the rising price of fuel, he thought of using solar energy to run the car. In 2019, he went to Chennai to get in touch with a solar panel making company. He also researched and brainstormed with a number of experts of the field. "In Kashmir, most of the time, the weather is gloomy. I used solar panels which can give higher efficiency even in low sunlight days."
The car is not a prototype and is fully functional. "The other luxury cars available in the market have huge costs in crores. I want affordable inventions to reach common people. I want people to make use of advanced technology at affordable prices," said Ahmad.
He wishes to soon start a company for its mass production which would also generate employment for the youth of Kashmir. "I will name the company YMC after the names of my children, Yosha and Maisha. The company will be making luxury cars for common people," he said.