Innovation and ingenuity are part of the talent of a Zulian entrepreneur, who captures the attention of the market by creating electric and solar-powered cars. It was the crisis due to the shortage of gasoline that motivated Augusto Pradelli to design a vehicle that does not use fuel.
This is how Caribe Carros was born, a pioneering craft project for urban mobility. “This idea showed that if I did it, it is feasible for everyone. The proposal is mobilization: for a company or for personal requirements; that is comfortable, without polluting, safe, without gasoline or diesel and at a low cost”.
Pradelli was helped by his automotive experience and being closely linked to racing cars, since he manufactured their prototypes; That is why he took on the challenge of transforming a golf cart into his dream model: an electric vehicle.
A team of creatives
A new concept of intelligent, economical and comfortable cars was the proposal that Pradelli presented to his team, made up of Javier Jiménez, workshop manager; the engineer.
Angel Velasco; Javier Villalobos, logistics and mechanics: Daviel Villalobos and Lenín Gutiérrez.
They enthusiastically decided to support it and managed to create five models in three years that work flawlessly, because they supervise every detail to make it stable and secure. Which fills its daring inventors with satisfaction.
When consulting on this modality, it was found that in the national market electric and hybrid vehicles are imported from Italy, Colombia, the United States and Costa Rica. The selling price exceeds $17,000 and there are only four models, the Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500, Corolla Hybrid and Xpeng, adjusted to the parameters of low emissions.
Very versatile electric carts
Pradelli began to assemble a light, silent cart, with many standards, which he already respected from motorsports, with capacity for four people and that with a 6-hour charge, to a 110v domestic plug, would travel 60 km.
There are more attributes to highlight in the vehicle. It is made with recycled material, aluminum, PVC and can carry a load of 500 kg. It has an anti-tip roll bar, made with tubes on top, it has no carburetor, no alternator and is easy to drive.
Pradelli’s desire is to have the patent to be able to commercialize it, because he considers that it brings benefits and helps boost the economy; but this procedure is very expensive and as an entrepreneur he is out of his budget.
He admits that he has received proposals to build it, but legally he cannot do it, nor does he have an assembly plant. “I showed that it can be manufactured and that it be massified in other instances.”
There are five models of electric cars in circulation
El Caribe was the first-born of the project of the entrepreneur Augusto Pradelli, whose name pays tribute to the family dynasty, which includes a hotel and a show venue called Caribe Concert.
It is colorful, according to the tropical environment, light. It is electric and charges when connected to a 110v household outlet for 6 hours. 4 people can travel with luggage and supports a weight of 400 kg.
Pradelli and his team made El Catatumbo more agile. It even climbs steps of stairs, it has 6 6v batteries, it advanced in speed with the support of electronics and went from 15 km/h to 40 km/h. The doors are removed and it can carry four people.
“Infinitely Marcos” is a very special prototype because it is a tribute to his friend and brother Marcos Villalobos, who accompanied him for almost 30 years as soon as the project existed and that is how Pradelli wanted to thank him.
It works with a Bera gasoline engine, a 150 cc automatic motorcycle; with a 5 liter tank it can travel 100 km at a speed of 80 km/h and uses a 12v battery.
The hybrid model is electric and has a 200cc Bera motorcycle engine. It recharges in a 110v outlet x 3 hours, to travel 20 km and with 5 liters of gasoline it covers 100 km, at a speed of 100 km/h. Its capacity is four people.
With the creation of Crepes & Waffles, marketing for mobile food and beverage stalls was considered. It uses a 550v solar panel. It has a gas stove and its sides serve as tables. Its speed is 25 km/h and it can travel 60 km. All the details are on his instagram @caribecarros.
Tourist and heritage tours
Pradelli relates that the idea of using carts in tourist tours of the city arose in a meeting with some friends who proposed visiting places that still preserve their historical magic of Maracaibo.
Three years have passed since this unforgettable experience for Augusto and his team. It only remains to hope that the wish of those who, seeing it circulate, will come true: I want a cart like that!
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The Hybrid model is electric and gasoline, has a 200cc Bera motorcycle engine. Photos: Courtesy Augusto Pradelli -
Augusto Pradelli has manufactured electric vehicles and also hybrids (gasoline and electric) with his team. Photos: Courtesy Augusto Pradelli -
The most agile is El Catatumbo, since it can climb steps of stairs. Photos: Courtesy Augusto Pradelli
