Solar Powered Electric Bicycle
In 2019, I designed and built a solar-powered e-bicycle through an initiative launched by the Mechanics Club to promote the UN's Sustainable Development Goals using mechanical design. With the help of my Physics teacher, I constructed a detailed plan: solar-charged batteries, motor and transmission, bike design and material, and parts sourcing and e-bike building. I designed a full AutoCAD model of the e-bike after learning the basics of gear transmissions. Later, we raised $3,700 and built three iterations of the bike. This experience taught me that a good engineer can make anything possible!
Throughout the design process, we used a blend of mechanical and electrical systems, as well as the integration of programming into the functional system. This experience helped me reinforce the choice to venture into the mechatronics stream. I hope to work more with projects like these in the future and learn how to design fully automated systems.
AUTOCAD DESIGN SKETCH
During the conceptual design phase of the project, I taught myself the basics of AutoCAD and design a first sketch of the side view of the ebike. After conducting research on the specifications of the solar panel, the battery pack, the battery, the motor, and the transmission, I ended up with the following design
BUSINESS CASE
As an initiative for my Marketing Course (JRE410), I decided to build a business case about the solar ebike as a startup company. Our startup Sun Ride is a solar electric bike manufacturer and retailer. There is a growing need for electric bikes in many big cities as a significant percentage of the population cannot afford the more expensive modes of transport due to inflation. We plan to offer our products in big cities across North America where access to electricity is common and later move on to highly sunny areas of the world like Africa and Asia where cheap mobility is a necessity for the less affluent populations.