And with the climate emergency, we need a lot of ambition," Mr Libeau said. "One of our objectives on the sector of the retrofit is to convert three million vehicles before 2032. The company plans to carry out the retrofits on a grand scale. Once these are factored in, Libeau says the cost should be around €5,000 per conversion.
The company is currently supporting seven vehicle models – all small, mostly French – though they aim to expand this to between 60 and 80 over the next five years.Īffordability is key, which will be helped by subsidies from the French government. Studio AVA is primarily focused on converting fleets of vehicles used in industries such as mining They have a small battery range of around 100km – but also a small cost.Īymeric Libeau, the CEO of Transition-One, told Prime Time that customers will be able to order the kits, have them delivered to their local, authorised garage and be able to drive away in a fully electric vehicle just four hours after they drop off their old internal combustion engine jalopy. In Orléans France, one company is currently producing kits to convert small cars. "We're very focused here on one thing – which is stop the large carbon emitters around the world from emitting as much carbon and also showing them that it's not just an ecological opportunity, but it's a financial opportunity for them as well to cut costs."įurther afield, other countries are beginning to make commercial retrofits a real and affordable option. Part of the Cool Planet group, the prime focus is on the existential threat of climate change, Mr Crowley told Prime Time. The company is primarily focused on converting fleets of vehicles used in industries such as mining. But the classic and luxury conversions are only a small part of what Studio AVA does. A 1964 Corvette StingRay retrofitted by Studio AVA is expected to sell for around €500,000 (Pic: Studio Ava/Instagram)īuying cars for more than the cost of a decent-sized house isn’t an option for the average driver. A 1964 Corvette StingRay, currently being retrofitted by the company, is expected to sell for around €500,000. And there are other actors and actresses we can't talk about."Ī gold, fully electric Land Rover Defender, with sumptuous leather interiors and a ferocious 500 horsepower drivetrain, drives beautifully. "We've done cars for Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire. "A lot of what we focus on is ultra-high-net-worth individuals, business people from around the world – also actors and actresses," Norman Crowley, the CEO of Studio AVA, told Prime Time. Studio AVA, in the heart of the Powerscourt Estate in Co Wicklow, carries out bespoke conversions, but not for the banger sitting in your driveway – and only for those with very deep pockets. Yet there currently are not many options for people who lack the expertise and skill that has allowed Mr Maguire to carry out his own conversions. But Mr Maguire would like to see retrofitting of this kind happening on a much wider, commercial basis, with more businesses getting involved.Īn electric retrofit could give a second life to many vehicles otherwise headed for the scrap heap. Though it wasn’t always easy, Mr Maguire has managed to get his vehicles insured, taxed as battery electric vehicles and NCT certified.Īt the moment, it’s a niche endeavour. But his 1996 BMW E31 "will pin you to the seat when you put the foot down", thanks to its Tesla drive unit, he said. The performance of the vehicles varies, depending on the parts used. Damien Maguire's 1996 BMW E31 has been converted to electric
These cars are for his personal use, but he uses them to test the components developed in his workshop, which he then sells across the world to people carrying out their own conversions.
#HOW TO USE SCRAP MECHANIC WORKSHOP FULL#
Though it is at times an expensive one, Mr Maguire recently completed a full retrofit for under €1,000. "We replace them with components that make it an electric vehicle – a motor, a means of controlling the motor, a battery and a way to charge the battery," he said.Ĭonverting cars to electric vehicles has been a hobby since 2009. The radiator, exhaust, fuel take and fuel lines come out. The process, he told Prime Time, is quite straightforward. The yard outside the converted barn holds a small fleet of old BMWs, all of which Mr Maguire has converted to fully electric vehicles. As with new electric vehicles, new parts are expensive, and Mr Maguire is constantly on the look-out for second-hand and salvaged parts. Beside the work bench is a drivetrain salvaged from a crashed electric car. The workshop in Damien Maguire's home in north Cork is part mechanic’s garage, part mad scientist laboratory.Įlectrical instruments flicker in one corner.