Thai man transforms motorcycle into solar-powered eco-friendly tricycle ‘to save on fuel costs’

A Thai man transformed an average two-wheeler into a solar-powered tricycle to save on fuel.

Mana Jukaew, 52, modified an old motorbike into a photovoltaic electric vehicle for his 76-year-old father in Sukhothai province, Thailand.

The eco-friendly two-wheeler, which has no emissions, only takes two hours to charge and can travel a distance of 14 kilometres. The electric vehicle can also store power for nighttime use.

Mana said brought home the motorcycle and turned it into a tricycle by adding various accessories such as the solar panel frame, lithium battery, a 500-watt brushless motor, and a forward and reverse gear switch.

He said: ‘I completed the main structure of the vehicle. The only thing remaining is the body and the seats. I spent a total of 15,000 THB, which is cheaper than other motorcycles.

‘My elderly father is my main inspiration. He can go anywhere in the village and not pay for fuel.’

Some scientists believe that emissions from petrol and diesel cars contribute to ‘global warming’, a climate-change theory put forward by various researchers and activists that suggests the earth is warming and that it has been caused by humans.