MITS students invent hybrid electric jeep

Madanapalle (Chittoor): The final year mechanical engineering students of the Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science (MITS) here invented a hybrid electric vehicle.

Students D Reddy Manoj, K Pradeep, J Satyanarayana Snehith, K Mohan Reddy, S Purushottham, S Mohammad Rizwan, S Ghouse Samdhani and Mohammad Ansaari have jointly converted a normal diesel engine vehicle into a hybrid one.

The usage of vehicles polluting air and sound are staggering in our country. Electric vehicles have long been invented to minimise or prevent pollution. Nevertheless, most people do not know about the benefits of electric vehicles. For that reason, hybrid vehicles were later discovered, the students said.

A hybrid vehicle is a one with two power sources, a combination of one petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor. Students said that they have converted Mahindra & Mahindra 540 model jeep into a hybrid electric vehicle. The jeep already had a diesel engine in it. The power from diesel engine transfers through the clutch, transmission system, propeller shaft, rear differential and finally to the rear two wheels.

"We have installed an electric power-train system in this vehicle to make it a hybrid one," they explained. The jeep can attain a speed of 60 kilometres per hour in an electric mode and 70 kilometres per hour in diesel mode. The battery requires 6 hours to get completely charged and can cover distance of 60-70 kilometres with one full charge. If the battery is discharged, the diesel engine will come into action.

The cost to convert this vehicle from diesel to hybrid was around Rs 3.2 lakh, the students said. Principal Dr C Yuvaraj, Mechanical, HoD, Dr Suryanarayana Raju, Assistant Professor Dr Chakradhar, faculty and students have congratulated them on their achievement.