This is an informative article.
Beev does not offer retrofits
What is a retrofit?
Retrofitting allows you to transform your old petrol or diesel vehicle into a electric vehicle and much more besides.
It must be produced by authorised professionals who have obtained approval for their processing in accordance with the strict specifications laid down in the regulations.
The aim will be to dismantle the original mechanics of the car in question and replace them with a new one. electric motor and batteries. The aim is to "save" an old vehicle by giving it a new engine, or to continue to drive your favourite vehicle without emitting any emissions.
This transformation also allows you to benefit from all the advantages of electric vehicles such as limited running costs, the free parking in some towns, the absence of traffic restrictions or reduced maintenance.
Regulatory framework: Which vehicles are eligible for retrofitting?
Here are the different categories of vehicles eligible for the conversion to electric. If you own one of these models, the retrofit is just waiting for you!
- All vehicles in category L : i.e. motorbikes and mopeds, as well as off-road vehicles and other small motorised vehicles with three or four wheels.
- All vehicles in category M : i.e. vehicles with at least four wheels designed to carry passengers.
- All vehicles in category N : i.e. motor vehicles designed for the transport of goods, such as lorries or vans.
- Only vehicles over 5 years old (3 years old for category L) :more recent models can be converted if the conversion device manufacturer has received an agreement from the manufacturer. However, vintage vehicles and agricultural machinery are excluded from the scheme.
What are the conditions for retrofitting?
The transformation into electric vehicle of your car can only be done if certain conditions laid down in the decree are met:
- Battery : electrical retrofitting is possible with a motor power supply from a battery or a hydrogen fuel cell.
- Vehicle conformity : the device must guarantee the vehicle's original conformity. The dimensions of the basic vehicle must not be altered by the conversion.
- Engine : the power of the new electric motor must not exceed the original power of the thermal vehicle transformed.
- Vehicle weight : the car must not vary by more than 20% after conversion.
- Conversion : can only be carried out by a professional established in France and authorised by a retrofit kit manufacturer.
- The date of purchase : the vehicle must have been purchased at least one year previously.
- Resale : you are not allowed to sell your vehicle within a year, or until you have driven more than 6,000 km.
Each converted vehicle receives "prototype approval", and a conversion plate is affixed to the converted vehicle alongside the manufacturer's plate.
It includes the name of the kit manufacturer, the VIN number of the vehicle, the prototype approval number, and the wording "conversion of engine to electric ".
Good to know: if you're considering retrofitting, remember to change your car registration document. Yes, when a combustion engine vehicle is converted, certain characteristics are modified, such as in field P3 of the vehicle registration document, which relates to the type of fuel used by the vehicle.
How much does a retrofit cost?
Today, several players in the Retrofit are already positioned in this nascent market, which will grow from strength to strength as the years go by.
Rates vary according to the type of vehicle and, above all, the size of the vehicle. batteries which will determine theautonomy of the vehicle. Electric retrofitting is an alternative to buying an electric car, which is still far too expensive for the French.
The price range is 8 000 € for a small city car more than 50 000 € for a model with greater range. The average range for a retrofit, however, is between 15,000 and €20,000. For trucks, it depends on the complexity of the retrofit and the customer's requirements. Costs are set to fall in the future, thanks to growing sales, economies of scale and the volume of purchases made by the Group. batteries and parts. And even more so if the State, the regions or the cities participate in the conversion bonus, which seems totally appropriate.
According to the founder of Transition-One (electrical retrofit start-up that has closed its doors for good), the price could fall to 5 000 € for cars like the Renault Twingothe Volkswagen Polo and the Fiat 500.
Benefits of retrofitting
Even if on paper it looks a bit like backroom tinkering, retrofitting does have its advantages:
- Price : The first advantage is undoubtedly the price. We're still in the early stages of this practice, so it's difficult to draw up price lists for different installers, but in the case of a city car, the companies currently working on it are talking about a conversion of around €8,000. That's a considerable sum, and probably underestimated, but it's still less than buying a new car.zero emission". Today, the Dacia Spring which is around €17,090.
- No loss of identity: The law requires that the conversion to electric power, which involves extensive work on the chassis, does not change the car's handling. For example, the weight and weight distribution must not vary by more than 20 %. Similarly, "the power of the electric powertrain must be within the closed range 65 % - 100 % of the maximum power of the original endothermic motor". Once modified, the car should not vary much.
- Environmental Movement : Electric vehicles are undeniably improving air quality, and retrofitting is focusing on older vehicles. These are often quite polluting models which, tomorrow perhaps, will no longer be allowed to be present in city centres where low emission zones are multiplying at high speed, even though they are still perfectly roadworthy. Offering a electric" second life is a good idea in the fight against global warming.
Disadvantages of retrofitting
The cost of conversion is much lower than the cost of buying a new plant. car new electricalRetrofitting may be of interest to some motorists. However, retrofitting does have a few drawbacks:
- Autonomy : she will inevitably be well below what is offered by the "true electric cars. While the price may be an advantage, you'll have to make do without a record range: a few hundreds of kilometres depending on the vehicle. Nevertheless, it's good enough for commuting or city trips, but not so good for holidays.
- Reliability : the second disadvantage is reliability, as in manufacturing, which will not receive the same attention or the same resources as the major manufacturers such as Renault, Tesla or even Nissan.
- Price : While the price is an advantage, it is also one of the disadvantages, and one worth considering. In absolute terms, it is much less than buying a electric car 8,000 advertised for the smallest conversions. But the first Renault Zoe are now selling for around €7,500 or €8,000 in the dealer network. Renault. Even if you have to add the controversial battery lease, for that price you get a vehicle with around 60,000 km on the clock, that's technically mature and reliable, and that offers at least twice the range of a retrofitted vehicle.
What assistance is available for retrofitting?
Retrofitting is authorised in more than 30 countries : United States, Canada, Australia, and 13 in Europe, in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium and now in France, with Grenoble as the main flagship.
Grenoble has become France's leading metropolis to support the retrofit industry with financial aid for private individuals and professionals.
It's an eco-friendly, anti-waste approach that extends the life of older and older vehicles by converting them to zero-emission vehicles.
Who is it for?
- For individualsGrenoble-Alpes Métropole's aid will be indexed to the income of the taxpayer's household and can reach up to €7,200 (distinguishing between vehicles weighing less than or more than 2.5 tonnes).
- The professionals will be eligible for a grant of €4,000 for a commercial vehicle weighing less than 2.5 tonnes, and €6,000 above that (up to a maximum of 7 tonnes). Companies with fewer than 250 employees (including associations and the self-employed) are eligible, up to a limit of 5 vehicles per company.
La Île-de-France region offers individual assistance from 2 500 € to the people of Ile-de-France so that they can convert their internal combustion vehicles that are more than 5 years old into electric vehicles. The aim is to improve air quality and develop an industrial sector around this innovation.
Which companies carry out retrofits?
Faced with tougher anti-pollution standards and traffic restrictions, many cars are no longer welcome in towns and cities. And the situation isn't about to get any better, with bans on access for diesel vehicles being prepared just about everywhere in Europe. major European cities. With the expansion of Low Emission Zones (LEZs), many motorists will have no choice but to change their car and therefore invest. Until now, modifying a vehicle in France has been very complicated, if not impossible, by regulation, without the manufacturer's agreement.
Today, thanks to a handful of entrepreneurs grouped together in the association AIRe (Actors in the Electrical Retrofit Industry) who have embarked on the retrofit adventure in France and negotiated for almost a year with the government to change the regulations. Retrofitting is now legal in France, joining the United States, Italy and Germany. The retrofit market already has around twenty players worldwide, including the following companies.
A few companies:
- Transition One : is a company founded by Aymeric Libeau in 2018. Transition-One is a founding member of the AIRe association (Acteurs de l'Industrie du Retrofit Electrique).
- Ian Motion : aims to make a significant contribution to the energy transition by electrifying existing vehicles and giving them a completely electric second life.
- Retrofuture : created by Marc Tison and Arnaud Pigounides, Retrofuture is also active in the retrofit market.
- Phoenix Mobility : is a young Grenoble-based company that launched in 2018 to convert internal combustion cars into electric cars.
- Canadian Electric Vehicles Ltd : was created in 1991 to convert internal combustion engine vehicles to electric power, including heavy diesel truck conversions for the airline industry.
- Clean Ride electric vehicles : located in Minnesota, VECR restores and electrifies classic VW Beetles from top to bottom.
A promising market
According to theAIReOver the period 2020-2025, retrofits in France are expected to generate sales of more than 1 billion for 65,000 vehicles transformed, with 5,500 direct and indirect jobs. By converting 1% of the total French car fleet, this would mean almost 400,000 vehicles and a business volume of over 5 billion euros, enough to whet the appetite. All that remains is to convince motorists.
Although replacing an internal combustion engine with a electric motor Despite the real advantages that this conversion can have in certain cases, it is still too early to consider it calmly. Better to wait and see how this small sector develops over the coming years.
