'With help, I would've been Kashmir's Elon Musk': Maths teacher who built solar-powered car

It took Bilal Ahmed 11 years to build this solar-powered car. (Image credit: @basiitzargar)

A Mathematics teacher from Srinagar has built a solar-powered car from scratch. The car has solar panels on its bonnet, boot and even the windows. It also has gullwing doors to take care of the space constraints.

It took Bilal Ahmed 11 years of research and hard work because he did not get the financial support he needed.

"No one provided me with any financial assistance. If I had got the necessary support, perhaps I would have become Elon Musk of Kashmir," he told Indiatimes.

Valleys first Solar car

A Kashmiri mathematician teacher Bilal Ahmed innovated a solar car pic.twitter.com/F6BAx2JVFN

— Basit Zargar (باسط) (@basiitzargar) June 20, 2022

Ahmed, however, set off on the journey wanting to make a disabled-friendly car and he taught himself by watching videos. "In the beginning, I planned to make a car for the disabled, but due to some financial issues, I could not carry the project forward," Ahmed said. He then decided to create a car that ran on solar power, The Quint reported.

The Mathematics teacher also met several experts and drew inspiration from innovator called John DeLorean, who started his company DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) that makes luxurious and affordable cars.

"Cars like Mercedes, Ferrari, BMW are a dream for a common person. Only the rich can afford such cars. I thought it would be great to allow people a feeling of luxuriousness through this innovation," Indiatimes quoted Ahmed as saying.

The Srinagar resident added that the solar panels he used in the EV have the ability to generate maximum electricity even with the least solar energy they are exposed to.

His efforts have been lauded by the internet including former Chief Minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah.

Solar car with #DeLorean #BackToTheFuture style doors. Certainly looks the part. https://t.co/fKF7iZup4j

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 20, 2022

Twitter users tagged Mahindra Group Chairperson Anand Mahindra and the Ministry of Education to help Ahmed with further assistance. "Ministry of Education, Anand Mahindra, please help this guy to innovate and build a good product and eventually benefit whole world in case of environment and climate change," tweeted Sharad Jadhav
@otakusharad.

Another user Agniveer Rajput Pawan @iamPKrajput even tagged Tesla CEO and the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, to alert him about Ahmed's creation. ​