Bhabanipatana: A Class IX student of Vikas Residential School in Bhabanipatana has built a two-seat solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) using scrap materials salvaged from a garage.
Combining lessons in energy, engineering and hands-on learning, Swaraj Satapathy completed the vehicle in about three months and named it ‘Volt X’.
The four-wheeled vehicle runs on a 48-volt battery backup and is equipped with a disc brake system. It has a top speed of 25 kmph and can travel 50 to 60 km on a single charge, according to Satapathy. Swaraj said he had dreamed of building the vehicle for a year before starting construction, and credited his father, Rajib Lochan Satapathy, for providing all the support, allowing him to finish the project in three months.
After completing the vehicle, Satapathy brought it to his school, where Chairman D Nageshwar Rao formally inaugurated it before it was shown to the public.
Rao, along with school director D Shyam, co-director D Ram Kumar, chief education officer D Bijaya, D Padmini, chief administrator Yuvaraj Nayak and Principal Arati Mishra congratulated Satapathy on his achievement and encouraged him to continue pursuing similar projects.