Maruti Suzuki is yet to launch an electric vehicle in the Indian market. However, there is someone who converted his brand-new Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXI into a sophisticated electric vehicle. The Dzire is a 2020 February model that is now completely an EV. The job is done by Northway Motorsport who have converted many regular standard vehicles into electric vehicles. However, this job is the most sophisticated that they have done till now.
The whole job of the conversion is done in-house and the whole powertrain was developed in-house as shared by the owner on T-BHP. With the conversion, the new Dzire EV now has 15 kW motor that can peak at 35 kW. Which means that if needed, the motor can produce 35 kW for short bursts. The motor produces a maximum of 170 Nm of torque, which becomes a massive 842 Nm at the wheels.
Also read: The New 2020 Dzire Ticks All The Right Boxes. Here”s Our Take.
The Dzire gets a battery pack of 13 KWh that uses the space in the fuel tank and the transmission tunnel. The same battery pack can be upgraded to 15 KWh. The DZire EV is currently using this pack. Additional 3 KWh can be added by using the exhaust space that takes the total capacity to 18 KWh.
Gets a manual transmission too
This Dzire EV also gets a five-speed manual transmission. There is a lightened flywheel and a usable reverse gear too. The weight distribution of the Dzire after the conversion remains similar to the stock version with an error of 5%. Also, there is no much of a weight addition to the stock vehicle. The stock Dzire VXI has a weight of 947 kg and after the conversion, the car weighs 950 kg, which is only three kg addition.
The converted Dzire also has VCU compatibility and also has full integration with all the CAN functions. The instrument cluster, throttle peddle, power steering, all controls, ABS, airbags, EBD and everything in the vehicle remain fully functional just like the stock version.
The Dzire EV can do a top speed of 160 km/h. It can also climb on a gradient of 34%. That’s not all, it can tow 3 tonnes vehicle with free rolling along with occupant weight.
The air conditioning system uses a Brushless Direct Current Motor (BLDC). It is actuated by original clutch switch of the Dzire. The radiator fan is also functional and works when necessary to keep the battery packs cool, power electronics cooling and even the climate control system.
The vehicle is charged through a CCS 2 Port. It is installed by replacing the fuel nozzle and is positioned behind the fuel filling lid. The vehicle takes about 8 hours to charge from zero to 100 percent by using a standard 15 ampere socket. The team is also working in a fast charging system but it is not yet ready.
The vehicle’s instrument cluster is now configured to show various information about the EV. The tachometer shows the motor RPM, fuel gauge shows the battery level, engine check light now shows motor drive fault, temperature gauge shows the battery temperature. The instrument cluster shows charging level when the car is switched off.
On a full charge, the car can do 250 km when driven around at highway speeds, which is extremely satisfactory. This is one of its kind EV with a transmission and none of the EVs available in India get an automatic transmission.
Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots
