यह वीडियो आपको सोलर साइकिल के रिटर्न ऑन इन्वेस्टमेंट, या ROI, को समझने में मदद करेगा, और यह भी कि आप फ्यूल बचाकर मालिक कैसे बन सकते हैं।
This presentation will help you understand the ROI of solar bicycles, and how you can own one through fuel savings.
Solar Bikes are NOT to be confused with EVs or ICE vehicles. The unique and biggest asset of a bicycle is its pair of pedals. A solar bicycle is to be considered as an extension of a regular road bicycle designed and engineered for use in the solar assisted pedaling mode. This mode enables you to mix metabolic and solar energies in a controlled manner. The solar energy substitutes a portion of the metabolic energy to lower the pedaling effort, to make pedaling lighter, more fun, more enjoyable, and at the same time to make the ride safer with the numerous in-built safety features such as brake light, tail light, head-light, etc., all driven by solar energy. Ride with confidence and speed with solar assisted pedaling!
Solar bicycles or solar bikes are personal transport vehicles designed to be propelled with a combination of human-power and solar-power. They are lightweight and eco-friendly and ideal for short, urban commutes. Motorcycles are engine-driven, faster, and designed for longer distances or highways. Solar bikes offer health benefits and low maintenance, while motorcycles require fuel, licenses, and insurance, offering greater speed and power but with higher safety risks and costs.
Propulsion: Solar bicycles use pedals (human power) and solar-power; motorcycles use internal combustion engines or electric motors.
Speed & Range: Maximum speed of solar bikes is 25 km/hour. Motorcycles have much higher top speeds and can travel longer distances, making them suitable for highways.
Cost & Maintenance: Solar bicycles are low-maintenance and free to operate, while motorcycles have higher costs for fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
Portability & Storage: Solar bicycles are lightweight (less than 30 kgs) and easy to store indoors. Motorcycles are heavy, require secure parking, and cannot be easily brought inside.
Legality: Motorcycles require a license, registration, and insurance; solar bicycles do not.
Choose a Solar Bike (Bicycle) for: Fitness, short commutes, eco-friendly travel, and avoiding traffic congestion.
Choose a Motorcycle for: High-speed commuting, long-distance travel, highway riding, and carrying heavy loads or passengers.
Note: The term "bike" is often used to describe both, bicycles and motorcycles, but "motorbike" specifically refers to a motorcycle.
We care for the environment and are concerned about climate change, biological diversity and pollution. We would like you to 'Pedal More for Less'. Kindly buy one if you plan to ride it on a daily basis either to work, school or for groceries and not only for recreational purposes on weekends.
... if you have love and passion for bicycles and enjoy pedaling to work, to school or simply to buy groceries. Buy it only if you are health and fitness conscious and wish to lead a healthy life, or if you are an environmentalist and wish to reduce your carbon emissions. Or if you are concerned about your safety and desire safety features & lights on your bicycle. Or if, with a regular bicycle, you lack the confidence or strength to carry your cargo, or to meet the metabolic energy needs of a fast ride at a speed of 25 km/hour while travelling longer distances (6 - 10 km) to reach the destination on time.
Tired of slow, stressful commutes? Every day, millions face the same headache: getting to work on time. The daily grind is defined by traffic jams, unexpected delays, and the stress of being late. Isn't there a better way?
Yes, there is! Imagine a commute where you are in control of your time, bypassing congestion effortlessly without compromising safety. Get ready to transform your daily travel with a Solar Bike! Introducing the B.E.M. Savitré Solar Bicycle: the future of urban commuting, combining physical activity with cutting-edge renewable technology.
આ વિડિઓ સૌર સાયકલના રોકાણ પર વળતર, અથવા ROI ને સમજવા વિશે છે. તમે તમારા વર્તમાન બસ, રિક્ષા ભાડા અથવા બળતણ ખર્ચમાંથી બચત કરીને સૌર સાયકલ ધરાવી શકો છો.
નિષ્કર્ષમાં, સૌર સાયકલની માલિકી ખરેખર ઇંધણ બચત અથવા બસ ભાડામાંથી મેળવી શકાય છે, જેમાં 18 મહિનાની ટૂંકી લોનની મુદતનો સમાવેશ થાય છે. આ મોડેલ ગ્રીન મોબિલિટીમાં દેશવ્યાપી ક્રાંતિ લાવવાનું સરળ બનાવે છે. શું તમારા ખિસ્સામાંથી એક રૂપિયો ચૂકવ્યા વિના સૌર સાયકલની માલિકી શક્ય છે? હા! ફક્ત બે વર્ષમાં.
This video is about understanding the Returns on Investment, or ROI, of solar bicycles. You can own a solar bicycle through the savings from your current bus, rickshaw fare, or fuel expenses.
Solar bicycles offer an exceptional Return on Investment (ROI), with several solar bicycle models and projects demonstrating a full payback period of 12 to 16 months for high-usage commuters and delivery workers. This rapid Return on Investment is primarily driven by the complete elimination of fuel costs and a significant reduction in electricity charging fees.
The video demonstrates that a solar bicycle project is truly bankable from fuel savings. Along with a short loan tenure, it means a country wide revolution in green mobility can be triggered without big funds. View the video to check if you can own a solar bicycle for free - simply from the fuel savings!
Solar bicycles work on the principle of energy harvesting that gives it two major advantages over electric bicycles - no need to hunt for charging locations, and no need to waste precious time while charging. The solar assist mode is an elegant way to combine solar energy with metabolic energy. Along with these, this video tabulates and compares solar bicycles against electric bicycles on various other realms, domains and fields.
This is yet another video in the Solar bicycle playlist that aims to educate the viewers on the benefits of bicycling. Solar bicycles can work as an elegant enabler to break the 'car driving' habit particularly for travel to destinations that are within an eight kilometer radius. It is about living a healthy and sustainable life. It is about one's own health and the environment.
This video is about energy harvesting. We will learn how it differs fundamentally from common energy generation techniques. We also show an interesting application of energy harvesting in the mobility sector.
This two minute video shows the features of the grand and majestic Savitré™ Neu 29" solar assist bike that offers a more comfortable and safer ride in comparison to other vehicles with smaller diameter wheels.
Though Solar Bikes offer the 'Throttle' mode, it should be rarely used; these bicycles are designed and engineered for use in the solar assisted pedaling mode. If you prefer the throttle mode, you have a choice of the more powerful and heavier 'EVs' with larger battery capacity to serve your needs better than solar bicycles.
If you love pedaling, but lack the confidence or strength to meet the metabolic energy needed to travel longer distances (for trips less than 10 kms), at the maximum speed of 25 km/hour, then solar bicycles are the best for you.
If you wish to pedal to work daily, value time but find it difficult to pedal, purely with metabolic energy on a simple bicycle, at the maximum speed of 25 km/hour, to reach the work place on time, then the solar assisted pedaling mode would serve your need well.
Numerous efforts have been put in the development of energy efficient solutions for personal mobility. Lately, the focus has been on the development of sustainable and green solutions. This video highlights that a vehicle that is considered energy efficient is not necessarily the best choice for the day to day sustainable personal mobility needs. The video compares a velomobile with a solar bicycle. It shows that a solar bicycle that is capable of harvesting solar energy can be a better choice to live a sustainable life.
Fully Assembled Solar Electric Commute cum Cargo Bicycle, 27.5" or 29" MTB with 40W tiltable Solar Panel with suspension, 1 or 7 Speed Gears, 250W BLDC Motor, Throttle and 5 Solar/ Pedal Assist Levels, Cruise Control, 36 V, 5.2 or 7.8 Ah, 280 Wh External Battery, Dual Disk Brakes, Front Suspension, Integrated Rear Carrier, 27.5" x 2.4" or 29" x 2.4" Tires, Controller, Headlight, Tail Parking light, Brake light, Horn, 2" Multi-parameter LCD Display with Solar Assist Level Shift Buttons, Mirror, Bell, Switch Key Lock, Cable Lock, Center Stand, 2A Solar MPPT Charge Controller & other Fittings - (for Qty. 3 Nos & above) - each for
BEM® SAVITRÉ™ ASSORTED R&D SOLAR ASSIST BICYCLES:
Fully Assembled R&D Developmental Prototypes - Solar Assist Bicycles, Assorted in 26", 27.5", and 29" MTB with 40W tiltable Solar Panel with suspension, 250W BLDC Motor, Throttle and 5 Solar/Pedal Assist Modes, 36V, 5.2Ah External Battery, LED/ LCD Display, Key & Cable Locks, Center Stand, 2A Solar MPPT Charge Controller & other Fittings - for
₹ 10,000 - ₹ 23,000 (all incl.)!
Send Message through WhatsApp on +91 9824074054 for more details if interested
All our solar bicycles are equipped with an integrated pannier rack (rear carrier). By 'integrated' we mean the pannier rack is solidly welded to the bicycle frame and thus forms an integral part of the main frame. This gives the solar bicycle an ability to carry more cargo load. If we assume the weight of the rider to be 65 kgs, then an extra 30 kg can be carried as cargo by the bicycle.
A common question asked is where and how do we carry the cargo. Well, the pannier rack side rails are fitted with sturdy 'S' shaped hooks on either side. Two cargo bags, each weighing 15 kg, can be hung on these 'S' hooks, one on each side. Additionally, the pannier rack is also fitted with butterfly shaped 'Pannier Side Guards'. These side guards prevent the cargo bags from interfering with the disk brakes or the rotation of the rear wheel (see the rear view of the solar bicycle in the image given below) . In the same image you would also notice how elegantly, the solar panel that is mounted on the top of the pannier rack offers adequate protection and shade to the cargo bags that are hung on either side from rain and direct sunlight.
<-- Rear View
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Image showing simple yet effective arrangements to carry cargo
<- Side View
On World Environment Day, Sunday, 5th June 2022, Baroda Electric Meters Limited proudly dedicates its indigenously developed BEM® Savitré 'Solar Bicycles' and 'Solar Tricycles ' to India and to the world. Since then the assembly and sales of the world's first sustainable human transport vehicle has commenced in its works located at Anand, Gujarat, India.
A brand new 26" regular or MTB bicycle from a reputed manufacturer of customer's choice retrofitted complete, with the basic configuration consisting of a 250W BLDC Hub Motor, Electronic Motor Controller, Rechargeable Li-ion Polymer 200Wh Battery, 40 W Solar Panel, BEM Savitré Solar MPPT Battery Charge Controller, Head Light, Tail Light cum Brake Light, Horn & other Fittings, and 3 operational modes (Throttle, Pedal Assist, Manual Pedal), is offered for an all inclusive (inc. GST) ex-works price of ₹25,200 (or USD$ 260 or EURO € 240) only! The price includes cost of a brand new bicycle and has no extra or hidden costs, but currently, due to local demand, is available for delivery only from the Factory Store.
Solar Bicycles and Tricycles are truly a novel and innovative concept. It is probably the only vehicle developed and commercialised so far that generates its own energy that it (the vehicle) consumes. As proud innovators and manufacturers of the solar cycles, we suggest that readers compare it with other vehicles (ICE vehicles or EVs).
A Solar Bicycle RIDER is considered to be SPARING, FRUGAL, THRIFTY, ECONOMICAL and PRUDENT.
SPARING stresses abstention and restraint. She is sparing in the usage of ICE vehicles while travelling for distances less than 8 kms.
FRUGAL implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle. A solar bicycle is the simplest of all vehicles.
THRIFTY means that she uses money and other resources carefully and not wastefully. Her action stresses economy and good management particularly in the use of non-renewable resources.
ECONOMICAL stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage. Use of solar bicycle represents an economical mobility plan.
PRUDENT - avoid taking risks and be careful.
acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
Action is marked by wisdom or judiciousness. She is shrewd in the management of practical affairs. She is also cautious and discreet
Would you buy a new BS6 or EURO6 vehicle with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) ?
Under the BS6 norm, the limit of pollution has been reduced - while the norm for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) is reduced to 60mg/km, the Pariculate Matter (PM) has been restricted to 4.5mg/km (Actually the credit goes more to the BS6 fuel that contains less sulphur and NOx). Nevertheless internal combustion engines (ICE) do pollute, and more significantly cause global warming and deplete the planet of its scarce oil resources.
Would you buy a new Electric Car instead?
Our article on Solar Bicycles vs. EVs shows how you would be continuing to use fossil fuel to charge your Electric Vehicle (EV), and thus would be still responsible for pollution (in sharp contrast to the claims made by GEDA).
Are you willing to ride a solar bicycle (max. speed = 30 km/hr) to work?
At just 1% of the cost of an Electric Car, riding a solar cycle represents a shift to a healthy lifestyle.
'Break the ICE' - an Idiom and a Pun - both intended! An Internal Combustion Engine is refered to as 'ICE'. A pun is a joke based on the interplay of homophones — words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. An idiom is a widely used saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase's literal meaning. Breaking the ice means to do or to say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a strained situation or when strangers meet.
The carbon footprint of a solar cycle is zero units
It is not the carbon footprint of the solar cycle that matters but the carbon footprint of the (Car with ICE) or an E-Car that it displaces when the rider chooses a solar cycle instead of the car.
India is taking giant steps to promote Electric Vehicles (EVs) in India. In addition to schemes provided by the central government, several state governments have announced incentives for EVs. The Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021 provides for subsidy of up to Rs 20,000 on EVs in the two-wheeler category, Rs 50,000 for three-wheelers, and up to Rs 1.5 lakh for cars. Also, the State government has exempted e-vehicles registered in Gujarat RTOs from paying registration fee. In light of the same, Gujarat recently reported a 956 percent increase in EV sales by the end of 2021 since 2019. In sharp contrast, neither the central nor state governments are offering any subsidy for solar vehicles which are far superior to plain vanilla EVs.
According to GEDA (Gujarat Energy Development Agency), the state nodal / designated agency (SNA/ SDA) for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNRE) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), respectively, the EVs are battery fuelled, so they help in keeping the environment pollution free. GEDA offers the subsidy to customers for EVs in Gujarat.
According to Centre for Apparent Energy Research (CAER), Baroda Electric Meters Limited, EVs may actually not be helping the environment as projected. A survey carried out by CAER shows that most customers who opt for EVs and have availed the subsidy as per the Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021, have earlier also opted for another subsidy, again offered by GEDA - namely the Surya Urja Rooftop Yojna that offers 40% subsidy to the residential consumers who have installed Rooftop Solar. These consumers offset their solar generation against the units consumed to charge their EVs. Now, due to a flawed electric tariff structure, called Net Metering, popular world-wide and approved locally by the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), the Electric Distribution Utility such as MGVCL is unable to differentiate between consumers who export different quantum of solar energy as long as their net difference between the units imported and exported, respectively, remain the same. Amongst them, we label the one at one extreme end, who exports his entire solar generation during the day while importing an equal amount of units at night to charge his EV, to be 'totally undesirable'. On the other extreme end, we consider a consumer to be 'desirable', if he consumes his entire solar generation, himself.
An 'undesirable EV consumer' creates two major problems for the electric utility. On one side, expensive fossil fuel (coal/ oil) based generation is used to charge the EVs. Hence, EVs are responsible for pollution - may not be at his door step, but at the coal or oil based power generation plants (in sharp contrast to the claims made by GEDA). Regardless of the place where the pollution occurs, the environment does get affected - since we all have a single intra-connected Mother Earth.
The second problem the 'undesirable EV consumer' creates to the electric utility is for the latter to find another consumer who is willing to receive the solar generation exported by the EV consumer. Since electrical energy is perishable and needs to be consumed the very same instant it gets generated, the utility has a mammoth job particularly with the rising number of solar rooftops and 950% increase in EVs. Would it not have been better if the said " undesirable EV consumer" would use his solar consumption to charge his own EV?
Actually, EVs are considered to be a different kind of load in comparison to other consumer loads. Other electrical loads such as a motor, or a fan or a TV operates and consumes the energy the same instant it is drawn from the electrical utility. An EV is different - it contains a storage element - namely a rechargeable battery - as an electrical load. The battery gets charged when plugged to the electrical utility ac mains, but the EV is used only at other times, later, after the battery charging process gets completed. The battery, as a storage element, offers the consumer a very important choice - when to charge the battery. And it is best, from the environment point of view, for the EV consumer to charge his/her EV with his/her own solar generation. But the EV consumer rejects the proposal - saying that his EV is away from home during the day and available only for an 'over the night' charging at home.
Simultaneously, looking at another growing menace of underage (less than 18 years old) students illegally riding vehicles powered by petrol engines with capacity over 50 cc or EVs with motors of capacity greater than 250 Watts, CAER indigenously developed in-house a solar bicycle targeting students who are 16 years old and above. On the eve of World Environment Day, 5th June 2022, BEM announced the launch of solar cycles, for girls and boys, originally priced at ₹33K, but as a mark of protest against the unfair subsidy policy of the Government, 'self-subsidised' or discounted by 40% and sold to the Indian public for ₹19,940 (inclusive of taxes). While the cost of the solar bicycle represents just 1% of the cost of an E-Car, it is a pity that the Indian government holds no qualms in refusing to subsidise solar bicycles. Imagine : the subsidy that the government doles out to a single customer purchasing an expensive E-car (that we have shown to be in futility) could, otherwise, have helped to subsidise 100 Nos. of truly environmentally friendly solar bicycles!
A solar bicycle, unlike an E-car, is truly an environment friendly solution and should be embraced by us Indians. In many other countries, such as the Netherlands, the learned (such as Professors) are observed to be using simple bicycles (not even an e-bicycle or a solar one) while the uneducated class such as the truck drivers are seen to drive expensive cars. In India, it is the opposite - cars are considered to be a symbol of status and to ride a bicycle is considered to be below one's dignity on any day other than World Environment Day! The lack of subsidy to e-bicycles and solar bicycles is adequate proof to support this statement. If India wishes to be truly environmentally friendly, it needs to mend ways, swallow its ego and pride, bow down before Mother Earth and do whatever it takes to reduce the fossil fuel combustion and associated green-house gases (GHG). With a choice of 3 modes of operation - full throttle, pedal assist (PAS), and manual pedalling, a solar bicycle can suit every individual's taste, from the lazy ones to the ones who are health conscious.
A solar bicycle has many other advantages over E-Cars. Solar bicycles have its own solar generation system mounted on it. Unlike E-Cars, one does not need to hunt for an EV charging station, nor does one need to waste time charging the battery at the charging station. As long as the solar panel on the cycle is kept facing the Sun during the day regardless if whether the bicycle is stationary or in motion, the battery would continue to get charged and the rider would be able to travel the maximum distance as indicated by the battery capacity. In case you do run out of battery power, unlike other e-vehicles you do not get stranded in the middle of no-where. You can pedal your way back home (to safety).
E-Car or E-bike Charging stations have other problems too. Eager to reduce the charging time, these stations increase the charging current which not only duly reduces the life of the battery but also could result in an explosion or the vehicle catching fire. On the other hand, solar charging in the case of solar bicycles is more gentle and elegant, thereby increasing the battery life and reducing the chances of battery overheating.
There are many others, seemingly insignificant but actually large differences. One is the efficiency of the charge process. When you charge an EV battery from an electric utility ( 230 Volt ac) mains, an AC to DC conversion takes place which is inefficient. This means high temperature - low reliability operation, or requirement for forced cooling or bigger heat sink for the charger. Many AC to DC chargers are also seen to inject harmful harmonics into the AC system. On the other hand, in case of a solar bicycle, the solar panel to battery charging process is DC to DC which is more efficient, which means that the charger can be smaller in size, more reliable, eliminating the need for cooling fans, thus generating less noise, etc.
Unlike other EV chargers, the solar charger provided on the solar bicycle is ARM microcontroller based and intelligent. The ARM controller chooses an optimum - Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) point so as to perform the DC to DC (Solar to Battery) conversion efficiently, thus enabling charging with a smaller solar panel that can be carried on a bicycle. On the other hand, carrying solar panels of sufficient capacity on an E-Car is still a distant dream.
Published on World Environment Day - 5th June 2022 by Dr. Vithal Narasinha Kamat, Baroda Electric Meters Ltd.
Readers may send in their suggestions through Whats App on Mobile #(+91)98240 74054
Multimodal transportation is the movement of people and goods on roadways, including but not limited to, motorists, transit-riders, freight-carriers bicyclists and pedestrians, including those with disabilities