The problem of climate change is very real, and it is crucial to deal with it immediately. The last four years were the hottest on record. The latest analysis shows that by acting now, carbon emissions can be reduced within 12 years and hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C, according to the UN Action Climate Summit of 2019.

Shifting away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy is one of the action portfolios proposed by the UN.

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It’s high time for India to move away from fossil fuel with high carbon emissions towards cleaner, sustainable sources of energy.

To create awareness about the same, Ibis hotels have partnered with The Sunpedal Ride, a noble initiative by Sushil Reddy, an IIT Bombay alumnus.

Reddy and his team of youngsters are on a 60-day journey on a retrofitted solar powered electric auto rickshaw along the golden quadrilateral route of India. Starting on 25 May from Bengaluru, their 6000 km journey spans through Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Vizag, Chennai to finish finally in Bengaluru.

The journey aims to create awareness on solar energy which will enable pollution-free, healthy living; a dire necessity for the country right now. It also aims to familiarise the masses with the mechanisms and cost effectiveness of electric powered vehicles.

Around 1.5 million electric vehicles currently move in the country, with 11,000 new electric rickshaws making their way to the streets every month.

They can reduce CO emissions by 71 per cent compared to two wheelers. Making such a rise sustainable requires overwhelming public support. The auto rickshaw named Tuktuk was created with a collaboration of VAIP, a Bangalore based company who retrofitted Tuktuk to be electric powered, and Jakson Group integrated the solar panel on the roof.

Tuktuk runs partially (around 30 per cent) on solar power and the rest is powered by its electrically charged battery. His team members include: Sudheer Lekkala who drives Tuktuk, Ruthvik Arya is at the wheel of the support vehicle, and Pallavi Siddhanta handles content and blogs.

His first initiative on 2016, where he journeyed 7,500 kms in 79 days on a solar-powered electric bicycle, made its entry into the Guinness Book of Records.