Mustafa Al Amin, an electrical engineer and innovator, has been named one of the 2025 winners of the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize for his groundbreaking work in the electric vehicle industry. Al Amin was recognized for his dedication and perseverance in creating affordable, locally manufactured electric vehicles for commercial drivers in Bangladesh.
A Vision That Started in Childhood
Al Amin’s passion for electric vehicles began in his childhood, inspired by seeing broken cars outside a police station in his hometown in Bangladesh. In 2019, while still a student, he came up with the idea of converting a traditional car engine into an electric motor. “I thought if I could replace the engine with an electric motor, it would become an electric car,” said the 35-year-old engineer.
Although Tesla had yet to become a household name at the time, Al Amin’s idea sparked the beginning of what would later become Palki Motors. However, his journey was not without setbacks. Al Amin’s entrepreneurial path included multiple failures and invaluable lessons.
The Road to Palki Motors
After studying electrical engineering at Montana State University, Al Amin worked as a software developer in New York, before returning to Bangladesh in 2017 to work as the Chief Technical Officer at his family’s solar power company. Following the collapse of his cloud services startup during the pandemic in 2021, Al Amin took a year off to reflect on his career and ultimately decided to pursue his childhood dream of building electric cars.
With only $4,000 in savings, Al Amin began his venture by building an electric car from scratch in his garage. Over the next four and a half months, he documented his progress on LinkedIn, attracting over 60,000 viewers and media attention. In a week, he completed his first prototype, a yellow-painted electric vehicle that became the catalyst for his company. The vehicle's success generated 16 initial orders, primarily from commercial drivers looking to reduce fuel costs.
The Launch of Palki Motors
Al Amin’s breakthrough came when he joined an accelerator program, which helped him secure an investment of $110,000 from Tanveer Ali, a wealthy investor from Bangladesh. With this investment, Palki Motors began producing electric cars in July 2023, manufacturing 10 units per month. As of now, the company has sold 76 units, with production set to increase using the prize money from the Zayed Sustainability Prize.
Palki Motors' electric vehicles are designed specifically for Bangladesh’s roads and are equipped with battery-swapping technology that allows drivers to replace depleted batteries in just two minutes. This technology has made the vehicles incredibly cost-effective, reducing fuel and maintenance costs by 90% and 52%, respectively. Additionally, the vehicles are 50% cheaper to own due to local production, eliminating import fees.
Empowering Commercial Drivers
Thanks to the affordability of Palki Motors' electric cars, many commercial drivers are now purchasing their own vehicles rather than leasing them. This has significantly increased their daily income, allowing them to take home between $35 and $45 a day compared to $11 before.
Palki Motors offers an innovative financing model where drivers pay $2,500 upfront, with the remaining $9,000 financed by investors. Drivers then repay $8 daily over three years, further making electric vehicle ownership more accessible.
Reflecting on his journey, Al Amin said, “Both my businesses were based on helping people earn more money. While my first venture failed, I learned from my mistakes. With Palki Motors, I knew exactly what to do to make it succeed.”
The Road Ahead
With the prize money from the Zayed Sustainability Prize, Al Amin plans to scale Palki Motors’ production to 100 units per month, furthering his mission to provide electric vehicles to commercial drivers in Bangladesh. This innovation is part of his vision to contribute to a more sustainable and cost-effective future for transportation.
In addition to Al Amin’s achievement, the Zayed Sustainability Prize also recognized other innovators, including Dr. Rhett Butler, founder of SkyJuice Foundation, for his work in providing low-cost, chemical-free water filtration solutions to communities around the world.
Conclusion
The 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to sustainability. Al Amin’s dedication to making electric vehicles accessible and affordable is a shining example of innovation that can drive positive change and inspire others to pursue impactful, sustainable solutions.
