With the invention of this unique solar car, this 24-year-old from Sierra Leone showed the world how to turn trash into treasure.
Face2Face Africa tells the story of Emmanuel Alieu Mansaray, who bills himself as a “self-taught inventor” on his Facebook page.
Mansaray said that it took three years to build this unique car, and now, he drives the “Imagination Car” all around town.
“Having a solar car like my ‘Imagination Car’ using solar power for transportation will make for a cleaner atmosphere, thereby reducing the risk of dangerous gaseous emissions that have led to the death of thousands of people around the world,” he told the outlet.
Mansaray is currently a college student at Fourah Bay College, at the University of Sierra Leone. He’s pursuing a degree in geology, but he says his ultimate goal is to bring the so-called “Imagination Car” to the mass market.
The car is painted in his country’s colors — green, blue, white — and has a solar panel on top of it. The car also comes with an engine — which Mansaray developed himself — and gears that make it go backward and forward.
And there’s more: the solar car will even help the disabled!
“Some disabled people have cars that they can’t drive unless they paid individuals to drive them because their feet can’t reach down the clutch, brake, and accelerator, which is challenging. But for my ‘Imagination solar-powered car’, all the features are installed in the steering; including the clutch, brake and accelerator, and all other necessary features. With all this, every disabled person can drive with less to worry about,” he said.
Ultimately, Mansaray hopes that his solar car will not only provide hope to others but will also be a boost to the economy in Sierra Leone. And of course, we love to see it!
