From petrol to electric car in just eight hours: German start-up wants to make old cars future-proof

e-R3VOLT - From petrol to electric car in just eight hours: German start-up wants to make old cars future-proof

Converting old vehicles into electric cars is not a new idea - but until now, such a conversion was an individual and time-consuming process. Not to mention the costs. Depending on the vehicle, however, it can be very sensible and, above all, environmentally friendly to remove the old engine and install an electric drive. Solid used cars are thus given a second life and the resources required for the quasi-new electric car are significantly lower than when building a completely new car.

There are already projects that have set themselves precisely this task - such as Mini Recharged, a BMW program that aims to give old city runabouts a new lease of life(find out more here). However, these are mostly individual interventions with varying costs and durations. What has been missing so far is a kind of standardized process that makes the conversion more predictable and efficient. Until now.

Electric car in just one day - thanks to a ready-made conversion kit

The young company e-R3volt from Dachau has set itself the task of "converting cars into digital, upgradeable electric vehicles in just one day". Even though the start-up is obviously still in its infancy.

Theoretically, this is how the conversion works: After an initial assessment to determine whether the vehicle to be converted is suitable for the conversion, the actual work begins. First of all, the old engine and all components that are no longer needed for future operation must be removed. By carefully removing them, e-R3volt intends to reuse or recycle them correctly.

A kind of frame is then installed in the cleared motor compartment, containing the battery, electric motor and all the necessary components. The frame will be attached where the combustion engine was previously installed.

The current battery gives the vehicles converted by e-R3volt an estimated range of 250 to 300 kilometers on a single charge, but development is ongoing to improve this performance. What the electric motor can do is not clear from the information on the project so far.

Modular set for more future-proofing

The frame has a modular design so that individual components can be replaced or expanded at a later date. To control and monitor the new motor, the retrofitted vehicles will then be equipped with a new infotainment system that provides access to the car 's functions. Through the digital upgrade, e-R3volt also wants to enable access to new apps and special navigation solutions for electric cars.

Incidentally, interested parties do not have to travel to Dachau for the conversion - the plan is to work with partner workshops near the customer. The conversion kits will not be sold online; customers currently have to contact e-R3volt via the contact form. Customers are currently given very little information about delivery times and partner workshops on the company's website unless they proactively ask for it.

According to the company, once the decision to convert has been made, the work should be completed in just one working day. In an interview with "Euronews", Rolf Behling, Head of Vehicle Development, revealed that the cost of the conversion is between 12,000 and 15,000 euros. Currently, e-R3volt is talking about ready-made conversion kits for 42 different models, including mainly popular vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf and Polo, Audi A3 and Seat Leon.