Demand for electric vehicles in the last five years have increased in the last five years and we have seen many Indian and foreign brands enter this segment due to its potential. With rise in fuel prices, the adoption for EVs have also gone up. There are many homegrown brands that are even offering conversion kits for ICE vehicles. There are even people who have even built their own electric vehicles that are either based on existing models or from scratch. Here we have one such video of a 67 year old man from Kerala who built an electric car for his daily commute.
The video was uploaded by Village Vartha on their YouTube channel. In the video67-year-old Antony John from Kerala’s Kollam district, who built an electric car for himself. Antony is a career consultant whose office is located about 30 km away from his house.
Initially, he was using an electric scooter for his daily commute. However, as he grew older, he wanted a vehicle that would offer a more comfortable ride while protecting him from the rain and sun. While he preferred an electric vehicle (EV), there were no suitable options available in the market at the time.
In 2018, he began thinking about building his own electric car. He conducted thorough research regarding the vehicle's design and electrical systems. To construct the car's body, he got in touch with a local garage that had experience in building bus bodies. Antony provided them with the design of a car design he found online, and the workshop built the body accordingly.
They built a compact cars that can seat two adults. It gets a 4-seater layout, but the rear seat is only suitable for children. Antony mentions that the workshop built the body, he handled all the electrical work himself.
He sourced the batteries, motor, and wiring from a vendor in Delhi. Work on the car began in 2018, but the project faced delays due to the pandemic. Because Antony lacked prior experience in building EVs, he made several mistakes that prolonged the timeline. Initially, he miscalculated the battery requirements, resulting in a lower driving range than what he required.
Once lockdowns and restrictions were lifted, he reconnected with the vendor, who suggested upgrading to a higher-capacity battery. After installing the new battery, the electric car achieved a maximum driving range of 60 km. Antony is incredibly proud of his creation and uses the car daily to commute to his office. He mentions that the EV is strictly for his personal use.
He uses his Maruti Alto when traveling with his family. While the exterior design is highly basic, the interior is equally minimalist, featuring bench seats, a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a brake pedal. Thanks to its compact size, the car can easily navigate narrow streets where a standard vehicle wouldn't fit. In total, Antony spent around ₹4.5 lakh on this project and is already working on building another electric vehicle.
The EV seen here in the video has a very low power rating and a top speed of under 25 km/h, it does not require a registration plate in India. However, the driver must still hold a valid driving license to operate it on public roads.