Q: Is it possible to convert a diesel or petrol vehicle into an electric vehicle?
Yes, it is possible to convert a diesel or a petrol vehicle into an electric vehicle with the help of retrofitting an electric power train into the body in place of the internal combustion engine.
Q: Is it true that electric vehicles are less expensive to maintain as compared to fuel-driven vehicles?
Yes, electric vehicles are less expensive to maintain as compared to fuel-driven vehicles because they have less complex machinery to be taken care of. Fuel-driven vehicles have more moving parts as well as the combustion of fuel being a violent exothermic process leads to vibrations which in turn lead. to maintenance of the parts.
Q: Can electric vehicles play an important role in saving our environment?
Fuel-driven cars are taking a huge toll on the environment as they cause air pollution. By going the electric way, cars will not depend upon petroleum fuel for their power source and thus there will be a considerable reduction in pollution.
Q: Is changing car engines illegal in India?
You can change your car’s engine in India but you will need prior approval from your Regional Transport Office (RTO) for the same. The law in India relating to retrofitting states that the installation of type-approved hybrid electric system kit shall be done only by an installer who is authorised by the manufacturer or supplier of such kits.
Q: What is the average distance that can be covered by an electric car in one charge?
This totally depends on the battery size. On average, electric cars are capable of covering around 150 to 250 kilometres and electric bikes cover around 80-130 kilometres in one charge.
Q: How can I convert my old car / bike into an electric car / bike?
We provide our customers with a detailed form to understand their needs and expectations from their electric vehicle. Then our technical team designs the best power train for the vehicle which is fitted into the vehicle at our workshop.
Q: How do electric car batteries work?
They need to be charged to stay functional and be able to power the vehicle to move.
Q: What are the Pros and Cons of an electric car?
Like every other machine, electric cars also have their Pros and Cons, have a look.
Pros: No fuel, low maintenance, enhanced safety, environment-friendly, future-oriented. Cons: Charging infrastructure is not present at all places.
Q: What’s the appropriate amount of time to charge an electric vehicle?
The answer will differ from one model to another. Please refer to your vehicle’s manual for the right answer.
Q: How to enhance the maximum range of an electric vehicle?
The maximum range/productivity of an electric vehicle can be enhanced by driving in ‘Eco Mode’, leveraging Regenerative Braking, and managing the air conditioning system.
Q: What is the charging time for electric vehicles?
The batteries in these cars can be charged in 5-6 hours and it will take less than an hour with a fast charger.
Q: What modifications are required to convert your vehicle to electric?
We will remove all the IC engine-related components and will retrofit the car with an all-electric drivetrain. The engine is replaced by an electric motor. There is no need for gears now. Thus the drive also becomes a lot less complex than what it is with the internal combustion (IC) engines.
Q: Can a petrol bike/scooter be converted to electric?
Yes, a petrol bike or scooter can be converted to pure electric by retrofitting. The engine and petrol tank are replaced by an electric powertrain(petrol to electric conversion kit) and battery respectively.
Q: What are the prerequisite for converting petrol scooters to electric (retrofitting)?
Valid vehicle registration documents (RC, FC etc).
Vehicle fitness to be roadworthy for re-registration.
Vehicle should be free of traffic penalties.
Vehicle should not be under any hypothecation
Q: What about the registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle after retrofitting?
The registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle will be renewed by RTO and we will provide all the documents related to the RTO re-registration formalities. Your vehicle will have same number but the number plate changes to green from white.
Q: Is the battery removable?
Yes, the battery is removable. If you don't have charging facilities in the parking you can easily remove the battery and charge it inside your home.
Q: After retrofitting to electric is it possible to convert again back to petrol scooter?
No, because as per RTO regulations, the engine will be scrapped while converting from petrol scooter to electric.
Q: How will be the lighting system powered after conversion?
The lighting system of the vehicle will be directly powered by the main battery and the old battery will not be used. Q: Where will the battery be placed in my retrofit electric vehicle?
Mostly the IC engine space is used to place the battery.
Q: Will I get a new RC card/book after conversion into an electric scooter?
Your RC will get a “Converted to electric” update. Your vehicle number remains the same, but the number plate colour would be changed to green.
Q: What happens to my current vehicle number after retrofitting?
The number remains the same but the number plate color would be changed to green board. Q: What is the proof that my scooter’s IC engine will be scrapped and not misused?
Engine would be scrapped through a certified recycler in India. We will issue a certificate for the engine scrapped. We also provide this certificate and relevant documents to RTO while re-registration as part of compliance requirement.
Q: How fast can an electric car/bike go?
As fast as you like. Just like a petrol powered car/bike, you can modify and tune your EV to reach optimum levels of performance. While most EV’s are commuter cars, there are a few production cars that offer great performance. The most talked about would be the Tesla Roadster; an all-electric sports car with a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and 245 miles of driving range between charges.
Q: How much does it cost to charge and a run an electric vehicle?
Exact cost of a single charge will vary depending on the vehicle's battery capacity and electricity rates. On an average, it costs around 10-15 paise (0.10₹ - 0.15₹) per km for an all-electric bike and 75-90 paise (0.75₹ - 0.90₹) per km for an electric car.
Q: Why are Lithium-Ion based EVs expensive as compared to oil based vehicles?
Lots of reasons actually :
The manufacturing scale high-output, high-capacity cells is relatively small. There aren’t the same demands for lithium technology from shops, industries and the auto industry, as opposed to lead acid batteries. This means higher costs.
Then the fact that you have to buy an often-expensive Battery Management System to look after your lithium batteries puts the overall purchase price even higher.
While a shortage of available lithium plays a part, it’s not a big part. The amount of lithium inside each lithium battery is surprisingly small. Couple that with lithium being in great abundance – despite what you may have heard – the only thing hampering it’s supply is the limitations of the existing lithium mining industry.
The next main reason why the batteries are so expensive is because they are very complicated. Each large lithium cell takes a considerable effort to produce. Both chemistries and manufacturing conditions must be absolutely precise. Special manufacturing facilities are required, which come at a price.
Today the cost of these batteries are dropping quite rapidly. They have dropped in half over the last 4 years and experts say that the costs will drop another half over the next 4 years. So when the cost of the electric vehicle batteries have dropped enough, the incremental cost of an electric vehicle will not be that much higher than an oil based vehicle.
Q: Where do you recharge a plug-in vehicle?
Most people recharge overnight in their own garage, or in an apartment basement, or driveway, but there are public chargers for electric cars as well in parking garages and shopping centres. Contact your EV manufacturer for information on public chargers.
Q: Can we put solar panels or wind turbines on an EV?
Putting solar photovoltaics directly on EVs is a nice idea but not adequate. Most solar panels would add too much weight to an EV to be worthwhile. Some newer, lighter, flexible PV technology could generate power for interior climate control or minor tasks, but not enough to power a car a significant distance. We need to have that plug.
Windmills on EVs don't make any sense. The drag they create reduces efficiency, necessitating more energy to run the car.
Q: How costly is servicing of electric vehicle?
Maintaining an electric vehicle costs less than an ICE-powered vehicle. The reason is that there are very few moving components, there is no engine, no piston, no crankshaft, no transmission etc. The only thing that moves is the electric motors that draw electricity from the batteries and spin the wheels. So, when it comes to service, there are brake pads, tyres, air conditioning, suspension etc.
Q: Can I charge my EV at home?
Yes you can charge electric vehicles at home. All EV-makers offer this facility. So all you need to do is to keep your car plugged-in overnight. If you are living in an apartment, you have to first check with your residents’ association or society to make sure they allow charging in the parking.
Q: How does fast charging work?
Various companies have set up fast chargers in different locations across the country. Most automobile manufacturers have set up chargers at their dealerships and service stations. Fast chargers use DC charging which bypasses the onboard charger and sends power to the battery directly. The rate of charging can reach 15 times that of the other chargers, and in some cases can add as much as 75 percent or more of battery capacity in as little as 30 minutes.
Q: Where to find chargers?
You can check the location of fast chargers through their applications. Usually, electric vehicles come with an application that shows where all the fast chargers are. They are slightly more expensive than the home chargers but they do charge the vehicle significantly faster than home chargers. Also, they come in really handy when you are going on a long road trip.
Q: How much subsidy will I get?
Subsidies differ from state to state but the subsidy from the Union Government stays the same. Not all vehicles are eligible for subsidies, it is distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis, so there are limited slots available. The amount of subsidy depends on the size of the battery and the cost of the vehicle. To know the exact amount of subsidy, you should talk to the vehicle’s dealership.
Q: How long before we would need to change the battery pack of an EV?
There is no doubt that battery packs are expensive. However, you would need to replace the battery pack only after quite a few years. Generally manufacturers are giving a good duration of warranty on their battery packs. For instance, Tata claims a battery warranty of 1.6 lakhs kilometres or eight years which is quite a lot.
Q: How do I extend battery life?
There are certain ways through which you can extend the battery life of your vehicle:
Use a slow charger which means that you should charge more at home and less at the fast chargers.
Don’t fully charge unless you have got a long trip.
Charge the vehicle till 80%.
Do not let the battery drain too much.
Q: Is there an infrastructure in place to support electric car recharging?
Most people drive fewer than 80 kilometres a day, well within the range of most electric vehicles. You can recharge your vehicle once you get home. But there are also recharging stations in various parking facilities, auto workshops as well as dedicated fast charging stations throughout the country. With government push for electric vehicles charging stations are coming up in all parts of the country at rapid pace including the big players like Reliance Power, Jio etc.
Q: How far can a typical electrical vehicle travel on a single charge?
It depends on the vehicle and the battery capacity, but it's not unusual to find electric vehicles that can travel between 90 to 250 kilometres on a single charge. Cars like Tesla electric sports car, the Model S can get up to 300 miles (480 kilometres) on a single charge.
Q: What's the lifespan of an electric vehicle battery?
That depends on the type of battery your vehicle uses. Lead-acid batteries, the kind that you find in gas-powered vehicles, may not last a full year. While other types of batteries like lithium-iron-phosphate batteries can last up to 10 years or longer. Also it majorly depends on the usage, as in how frequently the battery is being charged and discharged, the number of cycles of the battery.
Q: Are electric vehicles as safe as other vehicles?
Electric vehicles must meet the same government safety standards as other cars. And you won't be hauling around gallons of combustible fuel wherever you go.
Q: Why are electric cars so Expensive?
It's partly because the batteries are expensive, replacing one can cost several thousand dollars. But it's also because the price is what the market will bear. It's not the cost that drives the price up as much as it's the demand.
Q: Are electric vehicles dependable?
Assuming they're made properly, they're just as dependable as gas-powered vehicles. In fact, electric motors have fewer moving parts and therefore, fewer points of failure than gas- powered engines.