Converted a Maruti Dzire to an Electric Car

I have been trying to explain this to many many people for nothing less than 15 years, that a multispeed / CVT Transmission will unlock the true potential of Electric Vehicles.

stuntfreak recently shared this with other BHPians.

In my quest to make the most sophisticated EV conversion after converting many vehicles in the past, I decided to start off with a brand new Swift Dzire (since it's one of the most easy to relate to sort of vehicle).

Last year in Feb, I purchased a Swift Dzire Petrol Vxi and drove it straight to my little place of joy and happiness (workshop) to create something amazing.

Sure I do own a few OEM Electric Vehicles and ICE Converted EVs, but my aim was something different. I wanted to solve the common man's problem. How to build an Electric vehicle (in my case, a conversion kit, since I am no complete Vehicle Specialist), that has amazing performance, a great range, amazingly simple to use yet sophisticated, and is not too expensive to build.

In my quest to solve this issue, I ended up hiring many people to develop everything in-house since as over time I figured out almost 90% of the most important things needed in order to build an EV aren't available in India. Please bear in mind that this has always been more of a hobby and passion for me. And I do intend to help others like me to create their own DIY EVs.

We ended up developing the entire EV Powertrain ourself. The specs of the Swift Dzire EV are as follows:

• Motor - 15 KW, Peak 35 KW
• Max Torque: 170 Nm at Motor Shaft, 842 Nm at Wheels
• Battery Pack - We did develop 3 options for this particular vehicle. 13 KWh, 15 KWh, 18 KWh. Location: Fuel Tank and Tunnel Area. Extension in the Exhaust Area in case of the 18 KWh.
• Transmission: 5 Speed Manual with lightened Flywheel and Usable Reverse
• Weight Distribution: Same as OE with a max error of 5%
• Total weight addition to the vehicle - 3 kg. only. (Original Vehicle weight before conversion: 947KG. After conversion: 950 Kg)
• VCU Compatibility - End to End. Complete Integration with all CAN Functions. Instrument Cluster, Throttle Peddle, Power Steering, All Controls, ABS, Airbags, EBD, etc. Everything is fully functional
• Water Sealing: IP67
• Vehicle Top Speed Capability: 160 Kmph
• Gradability: 34%
• Towing Capacity: 3 Tonnes Vehicle with free rolling along with vehicle and occupant weight.

For the Air Conditioning, I am using a separate BLDC Motor that is actuated by the orignal Clutch switch. The Radiator Fan turns on when necessary (Battery Cooling, Power Electronics cooling, AC Chilling Etc.)

For Charging, we have installed a CCS2 Port in the fuel nozzle insertion area which can be accessed by opening the fill cap. The vehicle is capable of charging from 0 to 100% on a 15A socket in 8 hours. We are working on Fast Charging, haven't got there yet, but will soon have that established too.

The Instrument Cluster is re configured as follows:

• Tachometer Now shows Motor RPM
• Fuel Guage now shows SOC
• Engine Check light now shows Motor Drive Fault
• Temperature guage now shows Battery Temperature
• When the car's ignition is switched off, the speedometer shows the SOC (between 0-100) thus indicating percentage of charge for easy and precise visibility. We are constantly upgrading the software to integrate more functions.

Everything in the car works absolutely fine, and I am very very happy we finally got things right this time.

On a full charge, the vehicle returns a range of 250 kms when driven carefully, but unlike some OEM EVs, careful Does not mean SLOW. I also do own a Nexon EV and I know what a pain it is to drive at 40-50 kmph on the highways just to reach your destination. My Swift on the other hand returns excellent range at high speeds, thanks to our multispeed Transmission. I have been trying to explain this to many many people for nothing less than 15 years, that a multispeed / CVT Transmission will unlock the true potential of Electric Vehicles.

Most people might say, why have a Gearbox on an EV? Well, Why NOT?

My Swift Dzire EV:

• Produces Fantastic Torque thanks to the First Gear
• Is usable on a daily basis in 2nd and 3rd
• Returns excellent range on a single charge at highway speeds while still providing lots of torque in 4th and 5th gear.

So there you have it. Having a Multispeed Transmission, on any EV Traction motor that does under 15000 RPM is always beneficial despite the slight efficiency loss that it may have to bare.

So In short, the Electric Swift turned out to be an amazing car. I also did get the necessary Govt permissions to legally drive my vehicle on road.

Thanks to stuntfreak once again! Check out BHPian comments for more insights & information.