Petrol car into EV: Enticed by tools and machinery since the age of three, Mihir Vardhan become an engineer at 20 and was introduced to the world of mechanic wonder. He recounts how experimented with spare junk at the age of six and gave shape to his imagination with the toolbox that was gifted to him by his father. Since then, he has created many interesting and innovative things like robots, LED panels, and even a 3D printer.

He began by building small items like a flashlight, but today, he achieved a much larger milestone by converting a petrol car into an electric car. Mihir uploaded a video on his channel named, ‘Simplest EV Conversion under $3000 – Convert Your Car in 3 Days’.

In the video, he explains how he converted his petrol car into an electronic vehicle. He made the engine using a toy model, this technique gives the car power steering and air conditioning without any additional motors, saving time, money and effort.

This innovation has given the chance to convert old vehicles into something creative and progressive, which will reduce the wastage of scrap metal and save money which is required to buy electric vehicles. This will change the perspective of the automobile industry and it will also reduce stress on the environment.

Talking to Mitali Gautam of The Statesman he expanded upon his innovation and the motivation behind it.

What motivated you to work on the idea of converting a petrol car into  EV?
I am a hands-on engineer always looking for a challenge to test my skills.
This EV conversion project was suggested by my mentor many years ago. I could not even understand the magnitude of what it would entail. It has been on my mind since then to convert an Internal Combustion Engine vehicle to an electric one.
With a great focus on sustainable solutions in recent years, I learnt more about the lifecycle emissions of cars. While everyone knows that cars run on fossil fuel and have a significant carbon footprint. I am not sure how many folks know that even building new cars and scrapping old cars have a huge impact on the environment.

Every time petrol or diesel cars are scrapped because their engines are no longer efficient, we hurt the environment by scraping car bodies that are in good condition otherwise.

If we could find a simpler and more cost-efficient method to replace old, inefficient and polluting engines with clean, electric motors, we would not need to scrap entire cars and, by doing this, we would reduce not just the carbon footprint of operating these cars, we would also eliminate the impact on the environment of scrapping an otherwise healthy chassis.
A step ahead towards simpler and more cost-efficient conversion.

Where have you been working before this innovation?
I have not yet started working. I am in my third year of college, studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and I have been a creator for as long as I can remember!

I’ve always had a screwdriver in my pocket and an urge to open up everything around me to ‘see what’s inside and figure out how it works. I have always loved to tinker, explore and build. I have read, researched, networked and learnt as much as possible from fellow makers and mentors.

This passion has taken me to various hackathons, robotics competitions and science fairs. I even joined a robotics club. I convinced my parents to allow me to set up a workshop in my room and then I spent all my gift money and more on equipping it with the tools I needed.

I launched my YouTube channel, ‘Making with Mihir’, and my website ‘mihirvardhan.com’ to share my innovations, projects and builds, to connect with other makers and to inspire more youth to join the maker movement.
There must be some people around you who would be making fun of you when you shared your ideas with them, how did you cope with that?

I have always been curious to learn, and surrounded by a very supportive family and a group of very similar-minded friends. My family and friends know that some of my project ideas are downright brilliant and they are still very encouraging.

What is your family’s reaction when they saw the amazing conversion of a petrol car into  EV?
While my family is very supportive of all of my projects, I think, in the beginning, they were not fully convinced that I would be able to successfully convert my Dadaji’s car from petrol to electric. They cautioned me that it was a very ambitious plan but, as always, I knew that I had their backing.

Both my parents are engineers and they are an excellent sounding board for all my ideas. They played a big role in guiding my design for this conversion and also in financing it. They also helped in a big way when I needed help with logistics.

When the car first moved out of the shed at 6:14 AM on Jan 14 this year, powered by an electric motor, it was a really big moment for me and my parents were the first to witness it working. I know they were very impressed.

How did you finance this project?
I am very cost-conscious! I pride myself on reusing and recycling to keep my costs low and my projects sustainable. Almost all my projects use recycled components like windshield wiper motors, stepper motors from decommissioned printers, recycled wood were required and so on. I have saved up all of my gift money for project spending. My parents are my main source of funds.

What would be your messages for fellow engineering students?
Roll up your sleeves. Work with your hands. Let your education convert into a real-life application and you will love what you do.

What will be your next project?
I am looking for ideas for my next crazy project! And I am open to suggestions…