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!

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Claire Reid

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.