An Indian firm that tests and develops charging systems for batteries decided to restore a 1954 Fiat Millecento and convert it from an internal combustion engine vehicle to a fully battery-electric vehicle.
1. Quench EV Chargers
The decision to transform the vintage car came amid the lockdowns of 2020, when the Indian firm Ador Digatron figured the effort could pay off and uplift the team, which was dealing with a delay in the launch of their DV fast charger product line, due to the collapse in supply chains. DC fast chargers convert AC power to DC within the charging station and deliver DC power directly to the battery, which is why they charge faster.
Drove a remodelled 1954 #Fiat 1100 Millecento, converted now into an electric car by @Ador_India. What a fun ride! @AusCG_Mumbai #Pune @fiat pic.twitter.com/s32SuOIsky
— Barry O’Farrell AO (@AusHCIndia) October 26, 2021
“We decided to take a restored 1954 Fiat Millecento and convert it from an internal combustion engine vehicle to fully battery-electric,” said Ravin Mirchandani, Ador’s Chairman. Mirchandani explained the reasoning behind it, saying if they were successful, the car could be used on their charging products and could be a mascot at auto shows where the DC Quench fast chargers would be displayed.
The lockdowns gave our project the impetus it needed and our entire team worked in batches to convert this car with such a unique history into a vehicle of the future.
Ravin Mirchandani, Ador’s Chairman
2. Fiat 1954 Millecento
This particular model was imported into India for a period after independence and then a slightly larger version of the same shape was manufactured for some time, Mirchandani said. The model was a precursor to the Premier President and Premier Padmini’s, which lasted to the 1990s. The car that Ador Digatron worked on was first discovered abandoned on the side of a highway, rusty and not in a roadworthy condition by a Frenchman and baker, named Brice Poisson, who was living in the Indian city of Pune.
3. Hands on approach
Once the car was legally acquired, one team worked on the dismantling of the internal combustion engine and another worked on the undercarriage to make it ready for the electric motor. Yet another team worked on rehabilitating the paintwork and chrome and another worked on stripping the petrol fuel tanks and lines. Then, the final team working with the electric motor vendor worked on installing the lithium-ion battery pack in the boot and the powerful electric motor in the front. “It was quite the moment when we did our first test drive and this grand old lady moved forward without making a sound,” recalled Mirchandani with joy.
“We called our 1954 Fiat Millecento EV or more likely our labor of love – the E-Diggi and it is now our proud mascot. Customers love to experience a test drive whenever they visit our campus and on special days everyone gets to try their hands on the wheel for a spin. E Diggi is the prime attraction at auto shows and any visitors to our office,” Mirchandani proudly said.
4. Indian automobile sector
The Indian automobile sector is the world’s fifth largest, with plans to become the third largest by 2030. It will not be sustainable to rely on existing means of fuel-intensive mobility to serve such a big domestic market. To combat this, government authorities are designing a “Shared, Connected, and Electric” mobility alternative to reach 100% electrification by 2030.
