Hyderabad-resident Maaz Khan was introduced to the subject of electric vehicles during his final year of engineering.

Since then, he started following the field passionately, which eventually led him to launch his own EV company called Torq Electric in 2021.

Instead of designing new vehicles, Maaz’s idea was to convert existing fuel vehicles into EVs, which would otherwise be turned to scrap.

He began working on the idea along with the support of a non-academic startup incubator — EdVenture Park, which focuses on student innovations.

In August 2021, Maaz came up with the prototype of a two-wheeler EV, built by transforming an old petrol scooter at a cost of Rs 60,000.

“Converting fuel two-wheelers into electric vehicles seemed like a great idea to keep your old favourite bike,” he says.

While it takes just 5–7 hours to convert a two-wheeler into an EV, he asks for two days to ensure the vehicle’s safety.

Fully electric and hybrid vehicles are available, which cost Rs 50,000 and Rs 55,000 respectively.

“After 3–4 hours of charging, the bikes can run up to 75 km at an average speed of 45 km/hr,” says Maaz.