Three Frenchstudents will travel from Bangkok, Thailand to Toulouse, France on an electric tuk-tuk in an effort to demonstrate that electric power will be sufficient for our futuremobility needs. They plan to cover 20,000 km (12,427 mi) through 16 countriesin 120 days on their modified three wheeler relying on two giant batteries, a solar panel and the generosity of strangers.
KarenKoulakian, Ludwig Merz and Rémy Fernandes-Dandré are three InternationalManagement students at the University of Toulouse who want to bring attention to the dangers of climate change. Their collective idea culminated to The Pilgreens initiative,which was officially formed in January 2015.
Since then they have managed to buy a brand new electric Limo model from the Tuk Tuk Factory, outfit it with two massive batteries specially ordered from China,cover the roof with solar panels and complete all the necessary technical preparationsfor the adventure that lies ahead. On Sunday, August 10 the three friendsembarked on their electric odyssey with hopes of reaching France in time for the COP 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris on November 30.
ThePilgreens’ cause is a pilgrimage to clean energy, the promotion of aforeseeable future where electricity will be the dominant power source of choice for ourglobal mobility needs. The project is expected to cost around €60,000(US$66,000), including €24,000 (US$26,500) for the vehicle and batteries.
In the fewmonths since January, the team has managed to cover most oftheir projected expenses through sponsorships and a Ulule crowdfunding campaign. They have attracted a wide range of benefactors, from government institutions and universities to privatecompanies and individual pledges.
After theadventurous travel showcase follows an ambitious and detailed business plan, accordingto which The Pilgreens plan to evolve into a legal entity in 2016, working as ambassadorsfor the expansion of green mobility to developing countries. This first trip, called the Catalyzing Project, will be much more than an epic journey.
The threetravelers aim to investigate specific countries on their path, namely Thailand,Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia.The research will focus on identifying the needs for mobility with the scope for compiling future proposals related to electric mobility in these countries. Theirfindings will provide the basis for a research study supported by the Universitiesof Toulouse and Mahidol called "The Perception of Electric Mobility in DevelopingCountries."
The nextstep in the business plan involves mediation work asmanagement consultants for the proliferation of green mobility, while in the longerrun the non-government organization aspires to financially support selectedprojects.
The long journeyto Toulouse will also be filmed as a documentary focusing on interactions with the local populations and their perceptions of electric mobility.
"FromChina to Austria, we'll film our encounters with people, and we'll film theirreactions when we'll ask them for a plug to recharge our tuk-tuk," explain ThePilgreens. "We'll also film ourselves when the tuk-tuk will unexpectedly breakdown in some hell hole where it might also take us two days to find any signsof human life (ok, we hope this doesn't happen, but for the sake of ouraudience...). We'll film people and communities whose lives can be improvedwith the help of electric mobility. Think of young kids who could attend schoolbecause they can ride an electric bike and save a two-hour walk every day."
If youwould like to support The Pilgreens’ cause you can do so by following therelevant links in their official website via the source link below.
For starters, you can get to know them alittle better through their official video presentation below.
Source: The Pilgreens
