The Chamber
A Solar Bike Crosses India, USA, & France
While in Abu Dhabi for the 2018 Zayed Future Energy Prize, World Future Energy Summit, and Global EVRT events, I met an interesting character with a spirit of adventure in his genes — Sushil Pakala Reddy. Sushil, an energy engineer, is an IIT Bombay alumnus from Mumbai, India. He’s currently getting a master’s degree in Sustainability at HEC Paris, a university in Jouy-en-Josas.
In 2016, Sushil started a cause in India called “The SunPedal Ride” to raise awareness about solar energy. What is The SunPedal Ride? I’m glad you asked. This is an initiative whereby he rode a solar-powered electric bicycle around India and held public events and conversations to help raise awareness about solar power and electric vehicles. The ride was a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on a motorised bicycle as well as a Limca Record for the longest journey on a solar powered electric bicycle. Sushil got covered by everyone from National Geographic to Redbull.
After meeting in Abu Dhabi, Sushil and I stayed in touch, and he wrote that he has done additional solar-powered electric bike rides in the US and France, “again with the focus on persuading common people to adopt solar energy and electric mobility in France and the USA west coast.” These were again done under the SunPedal Ride platform. The Science and Technology Division of the French Embassy and IFCCI supported his French ride as well.
