This lightweight SUV is 100% electric and is based on the Jimny. And despite the fact that the company confirmed that an electric Jimny would arrive in Europe, a company has gone ahead and launched its own version with an electric powertrain. It is a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, a model made in India based on the second generation of the Suzuki model. A car that has become completely zero emissions.
The Indian startup called Tadpole Projects has taken an army service vehicle, a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, and turned it into a Jimny-based, zero-emission SUV. This car is based on the second generation SJ40/410 long wheelbase variant of the Jimny. This car was manufactured in India between 1985 and 2018, being one of the most used vehicles in the country’s army.
Retrofitted Electric #gypsies were showcased at the ongoing #army Commanders Conference in New Delhi. #IADN pic.twitter.com/1N1oKrzPMv
— Indian Aerospace Defense News – IADN (@NewsIADN) April 21, 2023
The all-electric prototype was shown at the biennial Army Commanders Conference event. The company behind the prototype is Tadpole Projects, known for offering electric car conversions like the original Volkswagen Beetle. In this case the conversion kit includes an electric motor with about 40 hp connected directly to the original transmission. Likewise, it has the 4WD system of the Suzuki Gypsy.
The autonomy of the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy EV is 120km, not having transcended the specifications of the battery. Of course, browsing its website the company offers different battery packs with capacities from 1440 Wh to 8640 Wh. It advertises that charging times range from 2 to 6 hours. There is nothing confirmed but the models that belong to the army could undergo a conversion, being a car with simple mechanics that the military knows perfectly.
