India's First Retrofitted Mercedes Benz C-Class EV With 150 KM Range

Electric vehicles are increasingly being accepted as the safest bet against highly polluting agents in traditional cars that run on either petrol or diesel. And to switch towards clean energy and green power, more people are moving towards electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles in India have come a long way in a short span of time and converting ICE vehicles to EVs has been a popular idea in the country for some time, but with little success. In order to bring down the emission levels, many of the already existing vehicles will have to be converted to sources of electricity and this is one of the many problems surrounding such a change.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier imposed a complete ban on all 10 years or older diesel cars and 15-year old petrol vehicles in the National Capital. But now some relief has come for those who have a diesel car that is more than 10 years old. The Delhi government has allowed people to use more than 10 years old diesel cars, but there's a catch. You will have to get your old diesel vehicles retrofitted with electric kits.

Taking advantage of this potential opportunity, Delhi-based Tadpole Projects, a company that provides a complete solution of retrofitting all categories of vehicles to electric has now converted the 19-year-old Mercedes-Benz C-Class from ICE to EV.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class from ICE to EV features

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This Mercedes-Benz C-Class used for the converting was a 2003 petrol variant car. The car has not only been converted to electric but has also been equipped with new-age mobility features like GPS, geo-fencing, and remote performance assessment by Delhi-based startup Tadpole Project.

Battery, EV kit¡¯s warranty and fast charging

The company gives a warranty of 3 years on the battery and 2 years on the EV kit, which is a bit low but could be improved in the future. The car as of now supports only AC charging and takes 5-6 hours to fully charge the battery. The company says that there is also a provision for DC charging if needed.

Speed of India¡¯s first Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV

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The Tadpole Project claims that the car has a top speed of 90 kmph and covers a distance of 150 km on a single charge. The company also says that the speed of the car can be increased to 150 kmph and the range beyond 250 km as per the requirement of the customer.

Standard retrofitting process

The company follows a standard retrofitting process that is based on the vehicle and other elements like the dynamics, structure, wheel assembly, and transmission, among other things. The process is initiated after all the research is done by the in-house team which then connects this research with the client's requirements in terms of range and speed and accordingly designs the motors and rechargeable energy storage systems.

Not a first time converted fuel car into EV

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Tadpole Projects, a New Delhi-based startup, is pioneering the conversion of fossil fuel-guzzling vintage cars into electric vehicles in India, while also doing the same for modern IC-engine four-wheeler vehicles. This is not the first time a company has converted a fuel car into an EV. The startup has already retrofitted vintage cars like the Volkswagen Beetle (1948) and an Austin 10 (1936), while also doing the same for ubiquitous modern four-wheelers like the Maruti Swift DZire and Honda City. The R&D and advanced testing of vehicles are supported by leading institutions like IIT Delhi, FITT, and the Centre of Automotive Research and Tribology (CART).

Tadpole project¡¯s aim

The company's aim is to provide affordable clean energy conveyance solutions to masses focusing on waste management and power efficiency at the same time, and this goes in line with their capability of Making electric vehicles without adding new vehicles on the roads.

The company claims that after converting any vehicle into electric it adds 7 years to the life of the vehicle, 3 lac km or 2 years warranty on motor and 5 years or 3 years warranty on the battery, 5 lac km. Mechanical losses in the EVs are comparatively less. Besides this, the company plans to retrofit vehicles like buses, cranes, earth-moving and other construction equipment in the future.

Big giant companies like OLA, Uber, Flipkart, E-kart, etc. appreciate their work and help them commercialise our product, metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR have stagnant regulatory norms for retrofitting, according to Tadpole official website.

Meet Mohammad Jawaad Khan, founder of Tadpole Projects

Mohammad Jawaad Khan, a 23-year-old young entrepreneur and an electric engineer founded Tadpole Projects in association with the Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA) at IIT Delhi.

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Jawaad hails from a humble background. His father is a shopkeeper who runs a small store in Bhaderwah and his mother is a government school teacher. The town has a relatively high literacy rate (86.6%), although very few venture into entrepreneurship. But before he ever thought of becoming an entrepreneur, he grew up with a deep fascination for making and innovating things.

As EV retrofitters, Tadpole Projects provides a solution that is sustainable and eco-friendly. The company follows a unique way of giving back to nature. ¡°Whenever we remove an engine from a car, we plant a tree,¡± informed Jawaad. Whenever a bike is sold and runs more than 3000 kilometers, Tadpole Projects plants a tree on owner¡¯s name and takes care of it. ¡°If Tadpole¡¯s initiatives bring even 1 percent of change in the environment, that would be an achievement for us,¡± stated Jawaad while emphasizing the need for green initiatives in the country.

Mohammad Jawaad Khan's achievements

A 23-year-old Mohammad Jawaad Khan hails from the small town of Bhaderwah, Chenab Valley of Jammu and has been awarded India¡¯s achievers¡¯ award in 2020 for outstanding professional achievement and contribution to nation-building.

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¡°At Tadpole Projects, we want to enhance the EV ecosystem in the country without adding new cars on the road. As EV retrofitters, we provide a solution that is both economical and sustainable. But where we make a real difference is our ability to maintain the same driving feel of the former IC-engine car and the ability to provide customised solutions for each customer,¡± says Jawaad Khan, speaking to The Better India, last year.

¡°Science has fascinated me since childhood. I always had an interest in making and innovating things. I have spent a lot of time in electric/mechanic repairing shops learning how machines operate. Sometimes I would fix things, but mostly I broke them. Growing older, I also developed a very keen interest in technological advancements in various fields,¡± he recalls.

¡°It is beautiful to see the emotional attachment a person shares with their vehicle, particularly a vintage. The memories that a small box of metal carries with itself is immense. Instead of seeing the owners of these artistic vintage cars suffer to keep the memory of their fuel-guzzling vehicles alive, why not design a flawless solution that can ease their presence on the road. That¡¯s what inspired me to work on such projects,¡± recalls Jawaad.

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