How retrofitting can transform road transport

Retrofiting activities can be a solution for the future whose contributions coincide perfectly with the objectives of the EU's decarbonisation strategy says Arnaud Pigounides

By Arnaud Pigounides

Is Founder and President of REV Mobilities

17 Nov 2022

Europe is the center of the future of ecological transition! Energy and Climate Package, negotiation on energy prices, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, all these projects contribute to making European Union the spearhead of an ambitious ecology, at the service of citizens, in support of the industry transformations.

No sector should be forgotten. This is particularly true for mobility and the transport sector, which are facing a double challenge: meeting the growing demand for mobility and limiting its environmental impact, decarbonization being a crucial issue for citizens and public authorities

Nearly 330 million of vehicles in Europe that do not meet environmental standards will have to be retrofitted over the next 15 years

Nearly 330 million of vehicles in Europe that do not meet environmental standards will have to be retrofitted over the next 15 years.

Retrofitting is a clear, fast, and efficient solution!

It consists in transforming any type of vehicle powered by a thermical engine, gasoline or diesel, into an electric or hydrogen vehicle, while keeping its original mass and power, to ensure an optimal level of safety. It is a real clean mobility solution that meets the major challenges of sustainable development with a circular economy. 66 to 87 per cent greenhouse Gases saved (Ademe Retrofit Lifecycle analysis).

It is therefore one of the immediate, functional, and sustainable alternatives that exist on the market today. The transformation of the automotive sector is already underway, but it needs to be better supported to ensure that technological developments in cleaner, more economical engines remain controlled, ambitious, and feasible.

France is already doing its part, supporting the development of the sector through calls for expressions of interest, the granting of interest-free loans for the poorest households, and the reimbursement of VAT for local authorities that transform their vehicles.

Retrofitting is not only attractive and creates jobs at the European level, but it also provides a favorable economic and social solution, since our conversions are two to three times cheaper than new electric vehicle.

This is a typical example of a virtuous circle: a polluting object, transformed in Europe into a clean product, available over a long period, at a lower cost for the citizen.

This is why REV Mobilities has developed retrofitting in three segments (passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and industrial vehicles). With REV Mobilities we are creating a French and European ecosystem with the first Franco-German consortium with Pepper Motion, the German leader.

Retrofit activities will be a solution of the future whose contributions coincide perfectly with the objectives of the decarbonisation strategy promoted by the European Union since the beginning of 2022.

All future legislation will have to enshrine this ambition, which combines energy sobriety, the circular economy, and the decarbonisation of the automotive industry. Overall, the retrofit industry now needs a European harmonisation for the homologation of our solutions.

We are ready for it, let’s go together!

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