IIT's 'Deshla' e-vehicle project gets funding for building lighter frame

The IIT Kharagpur's 'Deshla' electric vehicle project has secured funding from a leading trusteeship firm for developing aerodynamic body panel design of a next-generation electric three-wheeler.

The lightweight structure will enable the electric vehicles to achieve a peak speed of 50 kmph, project leader and faculty member of the Mechanical Engineering department, professor Vikranth Racherla said.

"We will experiment with new materials and chassis designs to develop lightweight structures which will increase the efficiency of the vehicles and provide higher range from the battery pack with better pick-up and peak speed," he said.

Racherla said the institute has outlined a two-year time frame for the project and the funding was for the first phase.

A large number of students from various departments and interns from other colleges working on sub-systems of electric vehicles will be involved in the project, Racherla said.

The Deshla electric vehicle project is based on indigenous technology, he said.

Last year, the Centre expanded the scope of CSR funding to the IITs and other institutes to promote industry- academia engagement in research and academics.

"The scope is immense and IIT Kharagpur is reaching out to several PSUs, MNCs and private corporations to support end-to-end research," International Relations Associate Dean professor Anandaroop Bhattacharya, who is also heading the CSR initiative of the institute, said.