AUTONEWS

Stellantis partners in Brazil to create a thermal to electric motor conversion kit for new or used utility vehicles

Stellantis, owner of 14 brands, such as Fiat and Peugeot, created a program for light commercial vehicles to switch from combustion engines to electric ones. The initiative is the result of a partnership with Senai, the manufacturer of electric motors Weg and Fuel Tech, which manufactures management modules. So, instead of buying a 0-km electric model, the haulier can install the kit in his used one.

But the set is also suitable for new cars. Initially, the target public is professionals who work in urban transport operations and who travel up to 100 kilometers a day. Deliveries of the first vehicles will now take place in April.

According to Stellantis, the first models that will receive the retrofit are a Fiat Fiorino and a Peugeot Partner Rapid. In other words, compact cargo transport vans. In addition to no longer emitting pollutants, the vehicles will have a factory warranty.

Transformation does not require structural adjustment...The program started in 2022. Stellantis says the process is simple: first, remove the powertrain with the combustion engine, then install the conversion kit. This brings together an electric motor and a battery pack. Thus, it does not require structural change.

The tests are done on public roads. In this phase, the functioning of the transformed vehicles is evaluated and the data are then collected. In this way, they allow engineering to adjust parameters and improve processes and components.

Experience in Europe...As we recently reported in the newspaper Estadão, Stellantis launched a similar retrofit program in Europe. There, the project is carried out in partnership with Qinomic, a mobility solutions company. However, sales of electrified light commercials will only start in 2024 and in France. Thus, only later will it reach other countries in Europe.

Focus on the transport sector...The retrofit is much cheaper than investing in new models and some companies in the transport sector have already discovered the advantages of this solution. For example, since 2021, Eletra has been offering kits for electric armored cars in Brazil in conjunction with the value carrier Protege. Afterwards, Eletra created a business arm that offers the same system for buses. According to company data, transforming a used vehicle with a combustion engine into an electric one is up to 30% cheaper than buying a 0-km electric vehicle.

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