PESHAWAR: In order to ensure a pollution-free environment and lesser reliance on petrol in an energy-starved country, an engineer from Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar has invented an electric-bike for the purpose.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, 24-year-old Sheharyar Ahmad, a BS mechatronics engineer from the University of Peshawar, said that Pakistan is facing a looming but formidable challenge in terms of the levels of pollution being experienced by the citizens of the country and that he intends to provide a pollution-free environment for the future generations.
“First, I want to minimize the scale of pollution in Peshawar --- the city of flowers --- and then I plan to extend the program to the entire country,” he added.
He said that Pakistan imports 200,000 barrels of petrol every month which adds to the pressure on the country’s nascent economy, adding that his main purpose is to save fuel and use energy as an alternate source for motorbikes. “My father bought me a motorbike as a gift after I got admission in the prestigious Islamia College of Peshawar. But since I was a student, I couldn’t afford the bike’s fuel and maintenance work,” he said.
Soon after, he decided to become an engineer before inventing a bike, which took him a year to design and could run on batteries instead.
Ahmad’s father, Haji Ikramullah said that it was extremely tough for him, financially, to get his son educated. “My son could easily become a physician but I preferred him to study engineering because I knew one day my son will do a commendable job for his family and country,” he said.
Ahmad is now concentrating on his own company, known as Azadi Autos SMC Private Limited (AAPL), which he established in the past two months in the sprawling city of Peshawar, capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Soon after completing his engineering degree, Ahmad started looking for work which would match his education and skillsets. He said, however, the tides of time turned in his favor, with him “offering work to others” today.
“The characteristics of the e-bike I have invented are that it is pollution-free and cheaper. If you import an e-bike it will cost you Rs. 250,000, while I sell the same for Rs. 85,000 only,” he added.
One bike, he said, cost him Rs.60,000 and, with the help of his assistants, he could manufacture 10 bikes per day if the autoparts were available.
