By Ghanian engineering students are at the top of their game as they recently invented a vehicle powered by the sun. This is the latest invention by students of Ghana’s Premier engineering university, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) located in the resource rich Ashanti region.
Reports confirmed that the first version of the environmentally friendly automobile was outdoored recently at a graduation ceremony of the university. It was stated during the ceremony that the invention of the 4×4 vehicle was in partnership with the Technical University of Munich.
In addition, it was revealed at the ceremony that the vehicle was developed by the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Physics. It was also confirmed to be a breakthrough for the West African nation as it explores ways to build a more robust automobile industry. This has no doubt tagged African as continent of science and technology discovery.
Further more, most cars in the country and even all around the world are fuel based, either diesel or petrol run, a few others use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The invention of the solar powered vehicle will automatically serve as an alternative to the existing ones thereby leaving people with many choices.
At the ceremony, the pickup-styled vehicle as displayed at the event seats two persons at a time. The first drive was taken by the chancellor of the university and powerful Ashanti king, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II and one of the guests who had graced the graduation ceremony. This was to test run the vehicle.
Reports further confirmed that the monarch drove it round a small field to much admiration of graduating students and other people who had gathered for the event. Also, he further task the government to invest and support the efforts of the university to undertake more of such innovations.
KNUST’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso, disclosed that the car was still being tested with the aim of fine tuning it. He said, the invention represented their response to living up to the core mandate of spearheading development of innovative technologies.
African students are fully ready to take science and technology to a greater level as the invention is, however, not the first on the continent. The most recent announcement of a solar-powered bus was in February last year when a company in Uganda launched the continent’s first.
Africans are ready to invest in science and technology. Through the educational sector, many African universities have recorded tremendous scientific discoveries and inventions. However, African leaders have promised to lift the hope of science and technology in Africa through investments.