If you don’t know about Northway Motors in Pune, they specialize in making kits that turn regular vehicles into electric ones. Now, they’ve made a kit for the Tata Ace EV, that can go up to 350 kilometers on one charge.
Tata Motors already made an electric version of the Tata Ace called the Tata Ace EV. It’s used a lot for deliveries in cities. But Northway Motors noticed some problems with electric vehicles used for deliveries. They figured out that vehicles like the Tata Ace can usually only go about 80 to 100 kilometers in cities and around 200 kilometers between cities before needing to recharge. Recharging often during the day can be a problem for businesses. Fast charging a lot can also damage the battery and make it not last as long.
To fix these problems, Northway Motors made the Tata Ace EV Long Range kit. It has a big battery that can go up to 270 kilometers when fully loaded, 300 kilometers when partly loaded, and 350 kilometers when empty. The battery charges fast too. If you already have a Tata Ace, the kit costs 9.35 lakh rupees. If you want to buy a new Tata Ace with the kit already installed, it’s 14.5 lakh rupees. For comparison, Tata Motors’ Tata Ace EV starts at about 9.9 lakh rupees. But it comes with a smaller battery.
Northway Motors suggests charging the battery slowly overnight. This way, you don’t need to charge it often during the day. The kit works with both new and old Tata Ace vehicles. Because it’s installed low in the vehicle, it makes driving easier and distributes weight better.
The kit has two modes: “Drive” and “Load”. “Load” mode is for when the vehicle needs to carry heavy things, like going up hills. The battery and motor in the kit are made by Northway Motors. They also made the wiring and other parts.
Northway Motors says their kit is safe and legal. It also costs less to run than regular vehicles and gives a good return on investment. With the kit, you don’t need to shift gears or use a clutch because it works with the existing gearbox in the Tata Ace.
The brakes on the converted vehicle work like normal, and there’s an extra battery for other vehicle functions. Northway Motors gave an example of a delivery trip from Pune to Mumbai to show that the vehicle can go up to 350 kilometers on one charge, which is pretty good.
