Electric car gearing up to power rural communities

An electric vehicle created by System Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd will be powered by two resources that are abundant in Malaysia - sunlight and palm oil, including used palm oil.

A CAR that runs on used palm oil, can power a small house and is cheaper than some local cars? Yes, please.

A Malaysian company has designed and built an electric car to tackle the transportation troubles of rural communities, where proper roads and petrol stations are sometimes hard to come by.

System Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd (SCS) executive chairman Datuk Khalilur Rahman Ebrahim said the electric vehicle (EV) created by the company will be powered by two resources that are abundant in Malaysia - sunlight and palm oil, including used palm oil.

“The oil is fed into a generator that charges the batteries of the car. Solar panels on the car’s roof will also provide extra juice for the batteries that can last for 10 years, ” he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair (KLESF) 2019 last Friday.

Khalilur Rahman said he came up with the EV early this year to provide an affordable mode of transportation for rural folks and figured out a sustainable way to fuel it.

“This is the first EV of its kind in Malaysia, and possibly the world, ” he added.

He said that petrol stations and public EV charging stations are sometimes located very far away from villages.

He added that depending on a constant, reliable electricity supply is sometimes out of the question for some of these villagers and this is why an alternative source of “fuel” is needed for the generators.

Khalilur Rahman said that the car can be used to supply electricity to a small house for up to 10 days when the batteries are fully charged.

“This is especially useful for emergency situations, ” he said.

He added that the solar panels on the roof also power the car’s solid-state air conditioning system that is always on, even when the engine is not.

“In fact, the hotter the day, the cooler the car, ” he pointed out.

He said there is no need to regularly service the car as there is no black oil or air conditioning gas used, adding that the car’s brushless motors are located in the wheel hubs to give the car the torque it needs to handle rural terrain.

The hatchback is about the size of a Myvi and can seat two people comfortably with a bench as a back seat to transport goods.

Khalilur Rahman said the car is still a prototype and expects to launch it next year.

He did not reveal the price but said it will be cheaper than some local cars.

The car was showcased at SCS’s booth at the KLESF.

“As a member of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), SCS hopes to inspire more young Malaysians to embrace science and technology, and think big on what other wonderful solutions their generation can offer the nation, and the world, ” he added.

KLESF was jointly organised by the Asean Academy of Engineering and Technology, MIGHT, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Institution of Engineers Malaysia and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.