This homemade EV looks a little strange but it is very economical
- A 67-year-old man from India built his very own EV by hand
- He spent several years building the car, sourcing and fitting all the parts
- The car cost less than $5,500 to build and is incredibly cheap to run
Published on Aug 16, 2024 at 7:43 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 16, 2024 at 8:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A 67-year-old man from India built his very own EV car by hand – and it is incredibly cheap to run.
The fuchsia-colored mini motor took a few years of work to get road-ready.
But once it was up and running, the attention-grabbing EV took to the roads without a hitch.
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The man sourced all his own parts for the DIY EV
We’re forever impressed by the imagination and creativity some car-lovers show – such as the man who crafted his own Apple Car out of wood for his son, or this Porsche Taycan that was built using a 3D pen, and let’s not forget the man who turned a Learjet into a limo.
And over in India’s Kerala district Antony John decided he wanted an electric car to replace his electric scooter – but when he couldn’t find one in his price range decided to get creative.
John, who works as a career consultant, reached out to a nearby garage and provided them with a design for the car’s bodywork, which they were able to create.
John then set about researching and sourcing batteries, a motor, and wiring, which he then fitted all by himself.
John, who appeared in a video shared on the Village Vartha YouTube channel, kicked off his project back in 2018, but was forced to hit the brakes on it a couple of years later when the Covid-19 pandemic started.
The homemade vehicle is incredibly cheap to run
With the world re-emerging from lockdown several months later, John returned to his EV and sourced a higher-capacity battery than the one he had originally planned to use.
With the new, more powerful battery, in place, John’s car was ready to hit the road.
It has a top speed of 25km/h (15mph) and as such – as per Indian road rules – does not require registration plates.
The whole thing cost him around 4.5 lakh rupees, which is equivalent to $5,360 – a bargain.
Not only was it cheap to build, but it’s also incredibly cheap to run, with John saying he spends around Rs 5 – about 6 cents – to travel his daily commute of 60km (37 miles).
Although the car looks teeny, it is actually a four-seater – though you’d probably struggle to get a full-sized adult into those back seats.
All in all, top work, John – we’re impressed!
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
