Thaddeus He was always a fan of “the irons” and coming from Pergamino to study Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Rosario (UNR) was an obvious step in his life. Interested in electromobility, proposed to drive a modified electric car with his own hands. This is how the project to convert a Suzuki Swift modelo 96.
Tadeo Vucotich’s first step was to contact a local supplier since most of the components of an electric motor are imported. He saw the car and bought it.. Transforming it was a task that he enjoyed from start to finish and achieving the green card in the Automotive Registry was the crowning achievement.
The Suzuki walks through the northwest area of the city without envying the “gasoline” cars.. The 100 kilometers of autonomy allow Tadeo to travel around the city and when it comes to charging the battery, he plugs in at 220 watts “like a cell phone.”. The Swift looks like new. Its electric condition eliminates the sound emission and when it is stopped at a red traffic light it seems as if it were not on the street. The noise pollution from combustion is left behind, the first benefit of this type of vehicle.
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In addition to the engine and strictly mechanical components, The engineer installed a new system for the light and air conditioning alternator, restored brake assistance, added position sensors for assistance when parking and reupholstered the seats.among other modifications to “beautify” it, he explained Vucotich in La Capital.
>> Read more: The registration of electric vehicles in Santa Fe doubled
The goal was clear and his meticulous work led the man from Pergamin to investigate the Arduino system (electronic boards to create hardware); Thus he created a speedometer and other accessories to technologize the vehicle.
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Wheels with these characteristics have among their benefits greater “agility for urban use due to its reaction, by not having changes it accelerates better due to the torque (force necessary to move the vehicle)”, summarized the engineer. Another point in favor of the electric car: the number of moving components is very low, so installation and maintenance are considerably less than that of a conventional car. “Not only does it have a useful life, but, for example, by having regenerative braking, the battery is recharged and the brakes do not wear out because they do not contain fluids such as oils that erode the parts of a gasoline engine,” he explained.
Vucotich defines himself as “self-taught”, he speaks with enormous passion about his Suzuki. He only required help to manufacture parts from professionals from abroad and he is happy to tell it. And it lights up even more when he picks up the green card, the first for a Santa Fe vehicle, which allows him to circulate with battery-powered freedom.
The process
It all started when, almost as a hobby, Vucotich took a course with the Uruguayan organization Auto Libre in 2016. The passion for mobility based on electric energy motivated him to undertake this journey, but the difficulty of importing was his first brake. In any case, the idea had already made the engine of the project roar, which it resumed in 2023.
At first, the mechanical engineer tried to bring the kit first-hand, although bureaucracy stopped the project. 10% of such components (in terms of cost) could eventually be obtained here, but always talking about peripheral accessories and not the main ones such as motor, batteries, and controller. That’s why, In October 2023 he contacted a specialist supplier and the process was already running smoothly. The purchase of the vehicle was not random: “In principle it had to be a light car and aesthetically, in my opinion, pretty. The Suzuki completed those requirements,” said Vucotich.
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However, The fundamental reason for the acquisition was the completely destroyed fuel engine: “In my first test I didn’t want to spend money changing something that worked, without knowing how it would respond to what I was going to apply. Since it was cast, it was ideal.”
Vucotich acknowledged that the reconversion time could not be linear due to the delay in the entry of components. But when the package from abroad arrived, it was a big event for the family. Tadeo spent hours in the garage of his house, which was converted into a mechanical workshop. “I worked 26 hours out of the 24 hours in a day,” he joked. He relegated leisure to get his hands on the engine he wanted so much. His family, meanwhile, watched with skepticism as Tadeo lived among tools and electrical connections, but accompanied the process.. “They understood what fulfilled me,” he reflected. Today the entire Vucotich family enjoys the 1996 Suzuki Swift and he dreams of seeing his children behind the wheel.
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>> Read more: The network of electric chargers has 230 units throughout the country
It was four months of hard and rewarding work to get the film ready. After starting the Suzuki, the official registration process began and, despite acknowledging ignorance on both sides, he found help in the Automotive Registry to achieve his goal.
The process to obtain a green card is usually similar to that of a fuel-powered car, but to approve an electric vehicle you must have a technical report from a licensed mechanical engineer. When it arrived at the Registry offices, the person in charge supervised and gave recommendations to give the green light to the authorization.
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Already with the card in hand, the man from Pergamin living in Rosario ran the finish line and on the horizon he set the goal of installing solar panels in his home “to have a 100% sustainable car”. In any case, he explained that the energy expenditure is not considerable, but Yes, the savings in fuel consumption are 85%.
A similar precedent occurred in 2010 when engineer Ricardo Berizzo managed to get an electric Fiat 147 running on the streets of Rosario, covered by ordinance No. 6,543/98. However, Tadeo’s case sets a precedent for future projects.
In Santa Fe there are more and more electric cars
A recent report from La Capital showed how the market for battery-powered vehicles grew in the province. Until October 2024, 968 cars were patented against 572 registered in all of 2023. This information is specified by patent exemptions thanks to Law No. 13,781, approved in 2018.
Since the rule came into force, there are a total about 2,500 patented electric vehicles throughout the province of Santa Fe.
