Hindustan Ambassador converted into EV has running cost of Rs 1/km: Can even pull truck [Video]

Electric cars are widely regarded as the future of mobility, with many manufacturers introducing new electric vehicles in the last four years. In India, Tata is currently the most popular electric car manufacturer. As electric vehicles gain popularity, many companies are even offering conversion kits to transform an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle into an electric car. We have featured many such projects from different parts of the country in the past. Here, we have a video showcasing India’s most iconic sedan, the Hindustan Ambassador, converted into an electric car.

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The video was shared by He-Man Auto Robopark Pvt Ltd, located in Angamaly, Kerala. According to available online reports, the team acquired an old Hindustan Ambassador for this project. After obtaining the car, they removed its engine entirely and replaced it with an electric motor. The motor is powered by a lead-acid battery placed in the boot of the vehicle, with additional batteries under the bonnet, totaling 22 batteries and forming a 20kW source.

The newly installed electric motor in the Ambassador EV generates 53 Bhp and a peak torque of 275 Nm. The electric sedan now has a top speed of 120 kmph and can accelerate from 0-60 kmph in 12 seconds. The significant 275 Nm of torque comes at zero RPM, a significant advantage for the car, capable of pulling heavy loads. A video shows the Ambassador pulling a heavily loaded truck weighing 6.5 metric tons and carrying an 8-metric-ton load without any significant issue.

The Hindustan Ambassador EV can travel 100 km on fully charged batteries, with a low running cost of approximately Rs 1 per km. However, it does not currently have fast-charging capabilities. The team is working on a lithium-ion battery pack for their future models and is awaiting approval from ARAI. Once approved, they plan to make conversion kits for more cars.

The HM Ambassador EV has a minor change inside the cabin, with the original instrument cluster replaced with an aftermarket digital instrument cluster displaying information such as range, battery status, and notifications related to the regenerative braking system that charges the battery while the car is in motion or slowing down.

The Hindustan Ambassador EV is still a project car, and the overall cost of this conversion is around Rs 6 lakh. The Ambassador EV is in the prototype stage, and the final product is likely to cost less. He-Man Auto Robopark Pvt Ltd has not shared any timeline regarding the launch of their transformation kits suitable for other models. This is not the first time, we have come across an EV conversion like this. Pune-based Northway Motorsports has been doing a lot of conversions projects where they were converting petrol and diesel engine cars into EVs. They recently launched their conversion kit for sedans. The kit is actually RTO approved and it can be endorsed into the RC of the vehicle. It is said to be a plug-and-play system where a car can be simply converted into EV by simply removing the petrol or diesel engine from the car. The conversion kit by Northway Motorsports cost around Rs 5 lakh for the sedans.

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