A nearly two-decade old was given a new lease of life, thanks to its new EV heart
After the Delhi government’s decision to allow banned old cars on the roads again with an electric powertrain is giving fruitful results. Indian company Tadpole has come up with a way to retrofit old cars with all-electric powertrains.
Overview
Tadpole has transformed an old 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class into an electric vehicle
There is a lot of buzz around electric vehicles, with people showing keen interest in them like never before. Even the Indian Government is promoting electric mobility in the automobile sector and is encouraging people to accept electric vehicles and other cleaner modes of transportation.
The government has also allowed older cars to get their conventional IC powertrains swapped for electric-powered ones. An India-based company called Tadpole Projects has shown how it can happen by taking an old Mercedes Benz C-Class as a base.
What powers the Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV?
It can travel up to 250 km on a single charge! Want to know more? SWIPE UP!
For the task, Tadpole Projects took a 2003 model of Mercedes Benz C-Class and made extensive changes under its hood. The conventional petrol engine of the 20-year old car made way for a new electric-powered kit that gets an electric motor and a battery.
There are multiple powertrains options
The battery takes 5-6 hours for a full charge using AC charging. Based on the preference, the battery can also support DC fast charging. The battery extracts a maximum driving range of 150 km in a full charge, which is decent enough for intra-city commutes.
The electric motor of the customized C-Class can help it reach a top speed of 90 km/h. If the customer wishes, the car can have a top speed of 150 km/h and a range of 250 km, which comes at an additional cost.
This Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric is real
In addition to this EV kit, the customized Mercedes Benz C-Class also gets connected car tech, such as geo-fencing, GPS and performance assessment on your phone. Tadpole Projects is offering a warranty of three years on the battery and two years on the whole EV kit.
Tadpole Projects works on commercial vehicles
This Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric is real
Tadpole Projects is an electric mobility startup with a base in India. The startup wishes to make transportation cleaner and greener. It has a sub-division called Trouve Motors, which is working on new-age electric vehicles, including a high-performance electric sports bike and a sports activity coupe with a solar roof above it.
For a long time now, the team of Tadpole Projects is working on retrofitting cars and commercial vehicles with electric powertrains. A few months ago, it created a buzz for converting a vintage Volkswagen Beetle into an electric vehicle.
The startup is evaluating possibilities of better and more advanced retrofitting of electric powertrains in conventional vehicles. It is also planning on setting up a battery swapping network for vehicles.
Do you think retrofitting older vehicles with a new-age electric powertrain is a cool idea for preserving them? Let us know in the comments below.
Keyword: The World’s First Ever All-Electric Mercedes-Benz C-Class