Inventor’s rugged EV kit for humble Indian bicycle goes viral

The humble desi bicycle has been the trusted companion of the common man of India for a long time. Now an inventor has come up with an idea to convert this sturdy cycle into an electric vehicle, without much modification.

Gursaurabh Singh, the founder of Dhruv Vidyut, has posted a video of his new invention on social media. He used his in-depth understanding and knowledge of production processes, machining, die making, fabrication, and welding processes and came up with a kit that could be fit on an old bicycle turning it into an Electic vehicle that can reach 25 kilometers per hour.

The best part is “groundbreaking device fits without a single modification to the cycle,” Singh wrote in a Facebook post. With the kit fitted any cycle can become “Dhruv Vidyut Cycle… No cutting, grinding, fabrication or modification required,” he says.

The video boasts that the kit is made with aircraft-grade aluminum, and is lightweight fireproof, waterproof, rustproof. It also comes with a charger inlet and a handy phone charger / USB outlet. The battery can be charged up to 50 percent by pedaling for 20 minutes, the promotional video says.

The video has since gone viral. Recently, Anand Mahindra appreciated the efforts of Gursaurabh Singh. In a series of Twitter posts, Mahindra said “This has been doing the #Signal rounds the last few days. Not the first device in the world to motorise a cycle. But this is a) An outstanding design—compact & efficient b) Rugged-loved the working in mud, making it an off-roader! c) Safe d) Savvy—a phone charging port!”

Further, Mahindra wrote, “It’s not inevitable that this will succeed commercially or be substantially profitable, but I still would feel proud to be an investor…Grateful if someone can connect me with Gursaurabh”