Developed by Northway Motorsport, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire EV conversion kit enables charging from 0-100% in just an hour using fast charger
Despite India being one of the largest car markets in the world, the transition towards electrification has only taken a slow route. Many factors can be attributed to this including the uncertainty created by policymakers and the downfall in the economy due to the health crisis over the last two years and a lot more.
However, there is no secret that there is light at the end of the tunnel as switching to zero-emission vehicles is the only way in which the soaring emission levels can be dealt with and the fuel prices are on the rise seemingly every single day. The mainstream automakers are yet to bring in EVs at an affordable price range, but we have seen aftermarket fits that do open up a number of possibilities.
Northway Motorsport has converted a Maruti Suzuki Dzire into an all-electric sedan and it was highlighted in a Youtube video. This particular kit was designed and developed specifically for the sub-four-metre sedan keeping in mind the overall kerb weight, the weight of the engine, platform, and other critical components.
Hemank, who is the cornerstone in developing this conversion kit, and his crew built everything from scratch while the controller, electric motor and other key bits and pieces were developed by them as well sticking by AIS regulations. He did not go too deep into the technical stuff as many are on the patent right desk.
The big advantage of having this EV conversion kit is that the stock suspension and tyres do not have to be upgraded. The petrol-powered Dzire can do zero to 100 kmph in around 12 seconds and the EV does it in under 10 seconds. The electric system is said to provide more power and thus a smaller motor was adopted with a higher top speed.
It is smaller than the one used in the Tata Nexon EV with the top speed rated at 160 kmph. The 20 kWh battery pack enables a driving range of 240 km and multiple battery configurations are also said to be available. The charger is placed under the bonnet and it takes up to eight hours to replenish back to 100 per cent according to Northway Motorsport.
Additionally, the fast charger helps in reducing the time to just 60 minutes. The battery pack and critical electrical components can be found under the bonnet and the conversion kit is being tested for certification purposes. It also features regenerative braking to harness some of the energy back to propel the vehicle.