Except for expensive classic cars EV conversions have mostly been the domain of individual DIYers. However, the industry is maturing.
The number of companies doing conversions and offering conversion kits, for example, is growing. And there are companies who think big in terms of EV conversions: e-revolt in Germany, for example, or Rev-mobilities in France.
Another major and remarkable initiative is coming from “down under”: Two start-up accelerators joined forces and launched the “Supercharge Australia innovation Challenge” called “Retrofit Nation”.
The initiative aims at encouraging startups to tackle some of the most pressing challenges to make mass EV conversions a reality, such as how to efficiently design EV retrofit solutions across many different vehicle types and models. In fact, the challenge is calling on startups to rapidly convert half of the Australian vehicle fleet to EVs, which is over ten million vehicles.
This would increase demand for lithium batteries heavily and improve chance for lithium battery and cell production in Australia, which produces half of the world’s lithium yet retains less than one percent of the value it produces.
‘”We can’t just keep sending our lithium offshore where others capture its value. It’s time we change this, together,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager Supercharge Australia, explaining the reasoning behind Retrofit Nation.
Find out more about the Supercharge Australia innovation Challenge here.
