EVs in Lucknow that clean air: School students develop battery-powered cars to curb pollution

In a not-so-ordinary and rather avant garde achievement, four school students have developed three battery-powered cars that purify the air. The unique vehicles have been equipped with a 3-stage air filtration system, HEPA filters that take in the foul air and emit fresh and clean air after filtration. What will intrigue one is that numerous parts of the cars are built of recycled materials that the team garnered from waste garages.

The group behind the innovation, that goes by the name 'Four-ever', comprises school students Garvit Singh (12), Shreyansh Mehrotra (14), Viraj Mehrotra (11), and Aaryav Mehrotra (9). The squad has been under the supervision and mentorship of Milind Raj, famously known as the 'Drone Man of Lucknow'. The team, through sheer dedication and tremendous effort, built the vehicles in a span of 250 days.

The aim behind the innovation is to reduce air and sound pollution and augment the EV world, introducing affordable models in the sector of battery-driven electric vehicles (EVs).

Some of the astounding features of these cars include a dust filtration system (DFS) which traps dust particles floating in the air when the EVs are driven, a brushless direct current motor (BLDC) of 1,000W and 1,800W capacities that helps convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, and more. Another impressive feature is the average range of 100 kilometres that the vehicles render on a single full charge.

The team has also showed an interest in working on 5G car connectivity towards a futuristic mobility advancement. The three vehicles are in distinctive designs with one being a three-seater, the other a two-seater and the third one a one-seater vehicle.

Speaking to Knocksense, the Lucknow-based robotics expert Milind Raj said, "The children have been my students for 4 years now. We came up with the idea, considering the rising air pollution and the affordability issue in our country. Because EVs are so expensive, the team created cars that will be marked at ₹95,000 (a bit less than a lakh)."

"The more you'd drive, the better planet you'd make. We wanted to set an example that you don't need money to create a revolution — just great minds," he added.

Hear it from the kids about their cutting-edge tech, "I have named my car Murcielago, which is a Spanish name for a bat. I draw inspiration from Elon Musk, who brought a revolution in the electric vehicle sector. It took me ₹2 lakh (nearly) to develop this battery-run car that purifies the air," said Shreyansh Mehrotra, a class 10 student.

Another group member, Garvit Singh, a class 6 student, explained that the car he has come up with, GS Motors, runs on lead acid battery. He will, however, soon turn to a lithium battery to enhance the vehicular performance.