- Previous diesel vehicles are being transformed into EVs by a French startup known as Neo Vans.
- The startup partnered with Renault Vans to get used rigs from Renault with out engines and transmissions.
- An electrical motor and a battery pack are then shoved within the previous powertrain’s place.
Diesel vehicles aren’t going wherever anytime quickly, however as the passenger EV market continues to developso does the variety of firms which can be keen to vary one thing.
Enter Neo Vans, a small French startup established in 2020 that retrofits previous diesel-powered long-haul rigs with electrical powertrains. This reduces prices in comparison with shopping for a brand-new electrical truck, however there’s additionally a vital factor to think about.
Neo Vans’ retrofits aren’t meant to place the previous diesel vehicles again on the highway for long-haul service, however quite on personal roads and properties like delivery yards and logistics facilities.
The startup partnered with Renault Vans to purchase again T-series tractors when their lease contracts finish. Renault removes the engine and transmissions and ships what’s left to Neo Vans, which begins the retrofitting course of.
A single 174-horsepower (130-kilowatt) electrical motor powers the rear wheels, and a modular energy pack is nestled between the chassis rails. That’s not quite a lot of energy, however the motor makes up for it with quite a lot of torque, as a Neo Vans rep mentioned within the Electrical Trucker video beneath.
The batteries could be scaled to supply from 60 kilowatt-hours to 120 kilowatt-hours of vitality, due to a modular design that’s based mostly on a 12-kWh unit. Extra models linked in sequence means extra capability. That’s sufficient for what the modified vehicles are designed to do: yard work at a most velocity of 15 miles per hour (25 kilometers per hour).
Some cabs are modified to make the motive force’s life just a little simpler, like including a gap behind the cab to permit the motive force to get out and in with out having to consistently open and shut the common door. As an added bonus, the rigs don’t must be registered, in order that they don’t carry a license plate, and the motive force doesn’t want a particular heavy items license as a result of there’s no public highway use. Moreover, the fifth wheel can increase by as much as 31 inches (80 centimeters) to permit drivers to choose up trailers with out having to get down and lift the touchdown gear.
The retrofitted automobiles can take as much as 80 kW from a DC quick charger, however as a result of they’ve a built-in onboard charger, operators may immediately plug into the mains for an influence enter of as much as 22 kW.
It is a area of interest product, little question, but it surely’s good to see that previous diesel vehicles can nonetheless get work accomplished with a brand new, clear powertrain.
