Used cars

A German start-up uses a method of mounting batteries that shortens the process of converting thermal engine cars into electric cars from several months to just a day.

Electric cars are more expensive than combustion engines, and this is often the main reason why many drivers buy classic cars, even though they would like to switch to environmentally friendly versions.

For those who want an electric car and can’t afford a new one there is a solution: keep the one they drive and modify it, turning it into an electric vehicle.

Converting regular cars to electric is not a new concept, but the process can be quite arduous and can take anywhere from at least two weeks to six months.

Using a proprietary workflow and new battery design, e-Revolt, a start-up from Germany, can reduce customer waiting times to just eight hours. Moreover, it can convert up to 42 car models made by major car manufacturers, including Volkswagen Golf and Polo, Audi A3 and Seat Leon, a universal kit, reports Euronews.

How much does it cost to make your car electric

Such rapid change is possible because e-Revolt approached the conversion process in a different way than other companies.

“We take the internal combustion engine and have a frame that uses the old engine points. And so we can easily change just the engine with the new frame and the components. That’s why we are much faster than a stand-alone solution,” said Timo Walden, project manager at e-Revolt and one of the company’s first investors, adding that this type-frame that can be applied to several car models greatly shortens the duration of the operation.

The process usually takes about a day and includes extracting the old engine block from the car and replacing it with the patented battery technology and engine frame, as well as fully digitizing the vehicle.

In just eight hours, the car takes on a new life. The cost of the operation varies between 12,000 and 15,000 euros, less than the price of a new electric car. But the additional expense with the technical approval of the modified car must also be taken into account.

The great advantage of the German conversion method

Speed ​​is the key to scale up the conversion process, but the ability to adapt production is the German firm’s ace up its sleeve. The market is interested in this solution, says Rolf Behling, Director and Chief Technical Officer at e-Revolt. “I’d say 95 percent of the people were very open. They talk to us and say, ‘Okay, that’s great. It’s a good idea (…) Uni says ‘yes, very nice. Maybe it’s good to have it as a second car (…)’.”

While people see the utility of reusing an old car, automakers may not be interested in buying into the e-Revolt technology, with many pushing to design and produce a wider range of electric vehicles.

Behling appreciates, however, that car manufacturers are also interested in adopting the solution implemented by e-Revolt. “I think we can work together in the future, as companies know that the real solution is not to throw away the car every time,” he said.

For now, extending the life cycle of cars in a sustainable way, with the circular economy in mind, gives SMEs like e-Revolt a maneuverability that most big car manufacturers don’t have.

The current life cycle of a car battery gives an e-Revolt converted car a range of 250-300 kilometers on a charge, but performance has room for improvement.

“That’s the good part (about e-Revolt), because our machines or our solutions are modular,” Behling said. Each component can be immediately replaced with a next-generation one, which is an important advantage compared to car manufacturers who have a harder time implementing new solutions, he added.

T.D.