INNOVATION
Driving to France on first eco-friendly tuk-tuk
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- TWO MAHIDOL University (MU) students will drive the world's first electricity- and solar-powered tuk-tuk to France under an initiative to promote green energy.

They are scheduled to leave Bangkok for their four-month long trip on June 10.

Both travellers are French double-degree students in a collaboration programme between MU's College of Management and Toulouse University's College of Management in France.

"Though using an electricity- and solar-powered tuk-tuk is not enough to solve all the environmental problems, it is a good start that can lead to bigger changes," one of the students, Ludwig Merz, said.

He pointed out that if city-dwellers can use clean energy to commute, they would not have to inhale polluted air, which affects both health and the environment. Merz said he hopes the Pilgreens Project, which he co-founded, would be a small step forward towards a better, cleaner future.

This project is based on Project Management and Cross-Culture Management courses, which aim to promote green energy, cut down consumption of fuel and raise awareness about alternative energy.

"These courses have inspired me and my friends to come up with the Pilgreens Project. We aim to illustrate that technological advancement can help create clean energy," he said.

Assoc Prof Annop Tanlamai, dean of the MU College of Management, said his university was delighted to support the project.

"This trip does not only conform to our problem-solving based learning approach, but also helps reduce energy consumption and pollution. It will also boost tourism in Thailand and put the country in the spotlight," he said. The two students will travel through 16 countries in 120 days, covering a distance of about 20,000 kilometres.

The tuk-tuk has solar panels on the roof, a 70v, 30kW per hour lithium battery and can travel 200km when fully charged, which takes six to eight hours. The cost of travel works out at about Bt0.7 per km or Bt14,000 for the entire trip.

The goal of the Pilgreens Project is to spark an interest among the general public to care about the environment and support alternative energy.

MU is supporting this initiative in order to establish itself as an "Eco University" by next year.

Mahidol University was named a top green university in the world as per the University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking 2013, ranking 31st in the world, 4th in Asia and 1st in Thailand, out of 301 universities worldwide.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Driving-to-France-on-first-eco-friendly-tuk-tuk-30261153.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-29

Not really an innovation, is it? And not at all an innovation developed in Thailand.

See these solar powered Tuk-Tuks in India everytime when I am there. The Aussies introduced them some years ago and even in Cambodia you can see them. Anyhow, I just hope that solar power will become more popular (and affordable!) in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/automobiles/an-epic-road-trip-in-an-electric-tuk-tuk.html?_r=0

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/australian-company-launches-the-solar-powered-tuk-tuk-12524

"It will also boost tourism in Thailand and put the country in the spotlight," he said.

Why would it boost tourism?

Is it a government edict that when anyone in a position of authority in Thailand talks to the press they have to mention that whatever it is they are doing will boost tourism?

Sad

Cutting through the tree-hugger BS, we have an electric vehicle getting some energy via on-board solar panels, but by far the greater amount will come from mains recharging. Whether a gas powered internal combustion motor is any less eco-friendly than a gas powered boiler in a power station is arguable, more so when you add in the plus and minus of hydro and coal-fired generation. I didn't include solar generation because I assume to make the whole thing worth the effort, it would be recharged at night. Just as I assumed they weren't going to leave it sit in the sun 6 days a week to get a recharge to drive on the seventh.

As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned, while avoiding fuel taxes the vehicle does have to drag around a bloody great battery, which also has a limited lifespan, from experience about 5 years. I drive a hybrid taxi in Brisbane, and the extra cost of the vehicle is justified because of the high distances covered (around 100,000km/y) and the relatively high taxation on fuel. they have certainly superceded gas powered vehicles. Whether the tuk-tuk version is economically sound is another matter.

Good luck with getting unscathed through the Middle East.

Who is paying for this nonsensical stunt?

Cutting through the tree-hugger BS, we have an electric vehicle getting some energy via on-board solar panels, but by far the greater amount will come from mains recharging. Whether a gas powered internal combustion motor is any less eco-friendly than a gas powered boiler in a power station is arguable, more so when you add in the plus and minus of hydro and coal-fired generation.

They do seem to have considered and addressed this and state clearly that there is much more work to be done to start to ease off the teat of big oil:

"THE PILGREENS do also consider very well that electricity has to be produced somewhere. But, at any rate, getting rid of pollution and noise in urban areas will have a huge impact on millions of people’s life quality. And that is why THE PILGREENS go even further. On the roof of their Tuk Tuk will be installed a solar cell to enhance the production of energy. Despite the little provision from solar energy, it is symbolically the concern of our future. Eventually, the aim will not be to gear every electric car with an expensive solar panel -- especially as the rate of yield during driving in places with shadows is quite small -- but to have the electric energy coming from a combination of different renewable energy sources. "

Can just see the headlines "solar power tuk tuk hit by spreeding pick up truck in thailand". Good luck

Have they not heard of Tesla ?

"It will also boost tourism in Thailand and put the country in the spotlight," he said.

Why would it boost tourism?

Is it a government edict that when anyone in a position of authority in Thailand talks to the press they have to mention that whatever it is they are doing will boost tourism?

Sad

Exactly. You always see moronic statements like "It will boost tourism in Thailand ..." for various news and you just wonder why.

Good luck with getting unscathed through the Middle East.

They're going the other way

A complete waste of time and how the hell they are going to survive in that little cart all the way to France is a mystery.

OMG 10 minutes would be long enough!

there has been a few in Thailand before, it was even on Thaivisa, what is new? Guess the solar panels are build in China with coal power plants. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/11/141111-solar-panel-manufacturing-sustainability-ranking/

Making such a long and unnecessary journey seems way short of "green" to me, particularly as the 3 wheeled battery powered transport has been in use for the past 50 or so years.

Posts in French have been removed:

English is the only acceptable language anywhere on ThaiVisa including Classifieds, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed.

there has been a few in Thailand before, it was even on Thaivisa, what is new? Guess the solar panels are build in China with coal power plants. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/11/141111-solar-panel-manufacturing-sustainability-ranking/

"French tourists will be lured to Thailand by this brilliant demonstration of innovation and technology spending 6,432 Baht and 28 Satang per day" said tourism minister Popcorn Ramalamadingdong.

Cutting through the tree-hugger BS, we have an electric vehicle getting some energy via on-board solar panels, but by far the greater amount will come from mains recharging. Whether a gas powered internal combustion motor is any less eco-friendly than a gas powered boiler in a power station is arguable, more so when you add in the plus and minus of hydro and coal-fired generation. I didn't include solar generation because I assume to make the whole thing worth the effort, it would be recharged at night. Just as I assumed they weren't going to leave it sit in the sun 6 days a week to get a recharge to drive on the seventh.

As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned, while avoiding fuel taxes the vehicle does have to drag around a bloody great battery, which also has a limited lifespan, from experience about 5 years. I drive a hybrid taxi in Brisbane, and the extra cost of the vehicle is justified because of the high distances covered (around 100,000km/y) and the relatively high taxation on fuel. they have certainly superceded gas powered vehicles. Whether the tuk-tuk version is economically sound is another matter.

Thailand has a lot very dirty coal power stations. I would estimate that coal-electric-transfer the electric-load the battery-unload the battery-mechanical energy looses a lot more % of power than Gas-mechanical energy.

A two stroke gas engine could be very efficient (but I worry the engined used at the moment are not)

That trip will take them several months, how fast will that tuk tuk be with 3 students in it? Anyway it will break down before it's out of thailand.

There is a yearly contest in Australia to drive electric cars. They get better every year and i never heard of a Thai team winning or joining.

1953 electric trike from the UK.

That trip will take them several months, how fast will that tuk tuk be with 3 students in it? Anyway it will break down before it's out of thailand.

There is a yearly contest in Australia to drive electric cars. They get better every year and i never heard of a Thai team winning or joining.

A F1 race car has more in common with those cars than this piece of junk.

1953 electric trike from the UK.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1432872120.135849.jpgImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1432872143.796092.jpg

Bingo! All they need is a solar panel on the roof and same same. Sunlight would help.

555

180 Km per day....?

NEED extra two 4x4 vehicles to carry their bags, spare parts, tyres and tools, plus support team and film crew, etc., etc..

Finally they need this extra transportation to bring them home safely after they will have to leave behind their dear tuktuk too badly damaged under severe traffic, road and weather conditions.

Environmental friendly, give me a brake!

Good luck. Be careful of stupid pickup truck drivers.

Good luck with getting unscathed through the Middle East.

They're going the other way

As long as they aren't going via Namibia they should be safe if they can make it out of Thailand in one piece.

good luck ,kids love a trip

Not solar power based, but some did it before:

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/society/tuk-tuk-didier-vacher.asp

http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/bikes-quads-karts/taxi-didier-takes-on-24-000km-tuk-tuk-trip-1.873798#.VWhXR-v4-yM

Tuk tuk's are dangerous traveling short distances.Long distance travel on A TukTuk.Better you than me.

it will take 4 months, what are they doing pushing it

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Make no mistake - these students have embarked on a journey straight to the heart of darkness itself. This would make an awesome dark comedy.

If this thing doesn't end up smashed in a gorge in the Himalayas or riddled with bullets as it traverses the Middle East I'll be amazed.

Probably the worst time in history aside from during the Wold Wars to be attempting this.

555 - Good luck!