Manipur techie makes electric scooter out of vintage Bajaj-150

Guwahati: A young engineering student from Manipur’s capital Imphal has earned praises after he turned a vintage Bajaj-150 scooter into an eco-friendly electric scooter (e-scooter).

Three years ago, Albert Sarangthem, who is currently pursuing his fifth semester in computer engineering at Manipur Institute of Technology (MIT), also did a similar makeover on a motorcycle.

Albert brand-named both his e-vehicles as ‘Samadon,’ a divine flying horse in Meitei mythology. He christened his e-bike as ‘Samadon EV I’ and the candy red e-scooter as ‘Samadon EV II.’

For a single electric charge which takes around two and a half hours, Samadon EV II runs up to 50 kilometres.

A resident of Wangkhei Thambalkhong in Imphal East district, Albert said the the Bajaj-150 scooter was originally ridden by his maternal grandfather in the early 70s, about five-decades ago.

“The scooter was then used by one of my maternal uncles before it was abandoned and got rusted at his house from where I took and did the makeover,”said Albert.

He said that the basic mechanism to convert a fuel-run vehicle into an electric one is to take away all parts which are operated by fuel, including the engine, carburetor and other correlated parts, and replace them with motor, speed controller and battery and other interrelated parts.

Albert, nevertheless, expressed disappointment over the non-availability of key parts in the Imphal market and lack of mechanical tools, culminating in him taking over eight months to bring out his Samadon EV II.

“I purchased major parts like the motor, battery and speed controller for retrofitting my scooter, and because of the ongoing ethnic conflict, these parts reached me very late,” Albert lamented.

Albert said he learnt his skills through internet resources coupled with the mechanism of e-rickshaw he witnessed in workshops in Imphal. He stepped into his electric vehicle venture and achieved a flying start with his Samadon EV I in 2021.

In recognition of Albert’s extraordinary mechanical talents in bringing out his Samadon EV 1 and as a token of appreciation, Manipur Transport Minister Khashim Vashum rewarded him. Albert also received a certificate of appreciation from his engineering institute in 2022.

A senior official in Manipur transport department said that any person can take up such makeover and conversion of vehicles after obtaining type approval from the concerned department.

Images and reels of Albert with his Samadon EV II went viral on social media sites with people showering applauses to his surprising skills.