Fuel inflation is burning holes in the pocket of the common man. The skyrocketing prices of petrol and diesel have made it difficult for us to wander without caring about the mileage. Keeping fuel prices in mind, people are showing interest in electric vehicles. Given the increasing demand for Electric Vehicles, many companies are entering into EV making foray.
However, buying a new electric vehicle is not a viable option for everyone. In this situation, how about the option of converting your conventional Fuel-based vehicle into an electric car. Many such agencies in the market are converting old cars into electric vehicles with retrofitting. Let’s understand this in detail.
What is EV Retrofitting?
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EV retrofitting refers to the conversion of existing petrol, diesel or CNG powered vehicles into electric vehicles. In this process, a new energy system is installed by replacing the original engine and other required parts of the vehicle. It is either added to the existing vehicle motor or the existing engine is completely replaced with a new motor and drivetrain. However, all other components on the vehicle remain the same.
Benefits of retrofitting:
There are many benefits of EV retrofitting.
- Firstly, it makes the vehicle emission-free.
- It will save your fuel spending.
- Your car will become noise-free and will give you a very smooth driving experience.
- It does not generate heat and there will be no vibration either.
- You will not need to buy a whole new car.
How it is done?
When a petrol-diesel car is converted into an electric car, all the old mechanical parts are replaced like the connection of the car’s engine, fuel tank, power cable to the engine and air-conditioner. All these parts are replaced by electric parts such as motor, controller, roller, battery and charger. It takes around a week to revamp your old car. All the parts are mounted under the hood of the car. The battery layer is fixed on the chassis of the car. Boot space remains completely untouched. After removing the fuel tank, a charging point is installed on its cap. From the outside, your car will be the same as earlier.
Also read: Types of Electric Vehicles available in market
Economics of retrofitting:
If your car is not too old and you want to continue with the same car for the next 5-10 years then it is a very much viable option. Rather than buy a new car or any other vehicle, it is much cheaper. All you have to do is get the EV kit installed. Automobile experts say that retrofitting old diesel and petrol cars cost Rs 3 to 5 lakh depending on the battery capacity and range.
The cost of converting a car into an EV depends on how many kilowatts (kW) of battery and how many kilowatts of the motor is to be installed in it. These two things decide the power and driving range of the car.
Is it safe and legal?
The retrofit EV kit undergoes multiple trials run before getting approved. The Transport Department also takes much precaution when it comes to retrofitting EV kits and the utmost attention is paid to safety. It allows only those retrofitting agencies that follow the strict norms prescribed. EV retrofitting is done at RTO approved centers following all safety norms.