Watch: Electric Maruti 800 with more torque than Mahindra Scorpio and a touchscreen

The Internet is full of reports about the Maruti 800 making a comeback in an electric avatar. We don't vouch for any of those, but we can bring you this neat Maruti 800 EV conversion story. Still a Maruti 800, but packs 378 Nm!

Maruti 800 holds a special place in the Indian motorist heart, not for its technological advancement but the opposite of it. The next of kin Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 couldn’t really capture the essence of being the ‘800’ and Maruti may not bring this nameplate back anytime soon. But that does not mean that it’ll be forgotten anytime soon either. An electric vehicle specialist based in Pune, Hemank Dabhade shows off his Maruti 800 EV conversion in the video that follows, and to say the least, the project looks very promising.

The last iteration of the Maruti 800 that retailed in India was powered by a 796cc MPFI three-cylinder petrol engine that put out 37 hp and 59 Nm of torque and was paired with a four-speed transmission. The other five-speed variant made 47 hp and 62 Nm of torque. Now though, Dabhade has built an iteration of the Maruti 800 that makes more torque than a Mahindra Scorpio.

Dabhade and his team Northway Motorsport have their project called ‘Maruti 800 EV’ reaching its final stages and have also documented the progress on a four-part video series on a YouTube channel. The team has worked on other EV projects before, such as Chevrolet Beat EV and Honda Activa EV.

Northway Motorsport modified the Maruti 800 as an all-electric car with a two-seat configuration and a rear-wheel-drive system. The electric motor boasts 378 Nm of torque and this combined with the RWD, the little 800 can actually do powerslides (watch towards the end of the video above).

The video focuses on what goes into converting a traditional vehicle into EV – removal of the petrol engine, modifications to the chassis, electric powertrain and drivetrain fitment, cosmetic changes like new spoke rims, front grille, etc.

Also read: Honda Activa electric review: The 95km range, zero maintenance scooter

Hemank and his team worked on the Maruti 800 EV project as a research platform to showcase the potential of aftermarket electric conversions. The driving range of the EV is claimed at about 150 km. Another eye-catching highlight of the conversion is the custom touchscreen infotainment system for real-time battery status, motor temperature, drive modes (forward, neutral, reverse), etc. It also gets HHA (or hill-start assist) to keep the car stationary on a downward slope before it is accelerated.

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