RUET research team develops hybrid car

RAJSHAHI, May 11: A research team of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) has developed the country's first hybrid car after two years of research work.

The research team leader and Professor of RUET Mechanical Engineering Department Dr Emdadul Haque said the fuel cost for this newly-invented car would be low.

Facilities in the hybrid car are electrical plug-in, engine service as well as charging systems. As a result, the car will continue to run if fuel stock is finished.

As the solar system is included with the battery, the car will be charged even if is trapped in traffic jam.

That was why; there is no scope for power or fuel waste. Besides, for the plug charging systems, the car can be charged with electricity too.

According to the sources, University Grants Commission (UGC) assigned this project to Dr Emdadul in 2014. Then the original works of the project started in August 2017 while his colleague Prof Fazlur Rashid also took part in the project.

Students Mahbubur Rahman, Obaidul Hasan, Tanvir Rahman, Tariqul Islam and Ismail Haque Farid were added with the work later.

According to the research team, like portable devices, this hybrid technology can now be used to any vehicle. Usually, a hybrid car has been build using an abandoned car collected from a garage in the city.

Asked about the speed of the cars, students said, using the battery it will be possible to get up 80 to 100 kmph speeds. Moreover, once battery ischarged, it will possible to run up to 250 km continuously without using fuel.

Students also added that only Tk 0.2 million to Tk 0.25 million will be required to convert an abandoned vehicle into a hybrid car.

Scientist Dr Emdadul claimed the countries of the developed world are now focusing on how to reduce energy consumption. Because of the remaining stockpile of the energy in the world will be over within next few years.

So, we tried to innovate something new which would be able to reduce the use of energy.

Our efforts have been successful. Because the special features of this vehicle are low fuel costs. At the same time, an abandoned vehicle can be made usable easily, he added.

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