Are electric cars really about to take over from the traditional internal combustion engine? There is no question that the automotive industry is undergoing a radical change. But judging by the recent headlines and growing chorus of environmental activists, auto experts believe that the non-gas car models are likely to nearly triple by 2025.
Traditional to the electric car at just €8600!
A lot of auto companies like Nissan, Volkswagen, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, and Honda are investing billions of dollars on R&D to launch their electric vehicles. On the other hand, French startup Transition-One converts the existing car to an electric one for just $9,500 (approx €8524).
Retrofitting technology!
Having said that, the France government also offers a subsidiary for a converted car which effectively makes it around $5,600 (approx €5024). According to Bloomberg, the startup has developed retrofitting technology that adds an electric engine, batteries, and a connected dashboard into older models.
Supported vehicles!
As of now, the supported vehicle is Renault Twingo II, Fiat 500, Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, Toyota Aygo, VW Polo. The first prototype is Renault Twingo from 2009 with a range of 180 kilometers (112 miles). In an interview with Bloomberg, Aymeric Libeau, founder of Transition-One, said, “I’m selling to people who can’t afford a brand new 20,000-euro electric car. We’re turning the best-selling models across Europe into electric cars.”
Pre-orders from September!
As of now, the startup is waiting for a green signal from the French and European regulators by the end of the year. Also, Libeau founded the company is expected to pre-orders in September as well. It is worth mentioning here that the Twingo prototype has three packs of batteries on the front and two on the place of the gas tank.
Transition in less than a day!
Furthermore, the company overhauls the traditional fuel car to an electric vehicle in less than a day, leaving out the gearbox and gearshift. Additionally, an electrical socket is installed replacing the gas cap. However, Markus Lienkamp, a professor of automobile technology at the Technical University of Munich, warns against the risk of errors and the difficulty of obtaining regulatory approvals for the retrofitted cars.
Looking to raise €6 million to build factory!
For the uninitiated, Aymeric Libeau previously co-founded a software company Pentalog Group and has worked on retrofitting for a couple of years. Currently, he is looking to raise €6 million to build a factory, which would be capable of producing 4,000 vehicles next year.
Stay tuned to Silicon Canals for more updates in the tech startup world.
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