The trend of electric cars has started growing very fast, so India’s first electric car is not Nexon but Lovebird. In the year 1993, the vehicle had to face many problems as well.
Love Bird
Personal transport is going to change completely in future and all vehicles are going to be electric. Automobile manufacturers and the government are working on an electric future. Automobile manufacturers are trying to reduce costs and increase driving range, while the government is trying to set up charging infrastructure and offer subsidies. It is well known that the first electric car in India is the Tata Nexon EV. but it’s not like that. The country’s first electric car was launched in the year 1993, named Lovebird tha.
Almost no one knows about the lovebird because it had a short life span. It was manufactured by AD Electric Series and they showcased the Lovebird at the Auto Expo held in Delhi. The car also got some awards. Even the Indian government was in support of the lovebird and they gave it a green signal. The car even reached production. However, due to low sales volume, the manufacturer had to stop production and the Lovebirds had to be discontinued.
Partnership was done with a Japanese company
Lovebird was produced by Eddy Current Controls in association with Yaskawa Electric MFG Company. The eddy current controls were from India while Yaskawa Electric was from Tokyo, Japan. The vehicle was being produced in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and Chalakudy, Kerala. The lovebird could seat only two people at a time. It ran on a direct current electric motor that got its power from a rechargeable portable battery.
Battery technology was not that advanced. Hence, the manufacturer used lead-acid battery packs as opposed to lithium-ion batteries, which manufacturers now use to power smart phones, power banks and electric cars. The range of the car was 60 km.
Unlike modern electric cars, the Lovebird had a four-speed manual transmission and also got a reverse gear. This was done to increase such efficiency. Currently, only the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron GT come with a two-speed gearbox. It took 8 hours for the lovebird’s battery to be fully charged. At that time fast charging technology was not available. The manufacturer targeted the Lovebird for people who lived in cities and needed a vehicle for short commutes.
why did the car stop
The sales figures could not even cross the three-digit number. At that time, the lack of electricity was a big deal and many cities still suffer power failures, due to which people are not considering buying electric vehicles. Electric cars were not just accepted like petrol or diesel cars. The government also withdrew the subsidy, due to which the price of the lovebird increased significantly.
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