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"Is the electric vehicle better for the environment than the internal combustion vehicle? In this analysis just published by Carbone 4, you will find not one, but... twelve answers to this question.
Our teams looked at how, in terms of both greenhouse gas emissions and metal consumption, the internal combustion version of 3 categories of vehicle (a city car, a 3.5 t van and a city bus) compared with a new electric version, and also with a so-called ‘retrofit’ version.
With 2 evaluation criteria (emissions and materials), 2 alternatives (new electric and retrofit) for 3 categories, that's 12 results :)
What is a retrofit? Retrofit is an operation in which the internal combustion engine is retained, but the engine, exhaust, fuel tank, transmission and clutch are removed, and an electric motor, battery and control electronics are installed in its place.
As it is only the space freed up by removing the combustion engine and its accessories that allows the electric drive and battery to be installed, this limits the capacity of the battery, which will store less electricity when retrofitted than on an equivalent new vehicle (in practice 20 kWh rather than 40 on a city car; the difference is smaller on vans and even smaller on buses).
The advantage of this operation is obviously that it saves on the materials needed to manufacture a new vehicle (excluding the engine and battery), limits consumption afterwards (and therefore the power required from the grid), and ensures that you don't put an internal combustion vehicle on the second-hand market (which is often the case if you replace your petrol car with an electric vehicle), in which case the emissions have just gone ‘somewhere else’.
For any type of vehicle, and whether it's a question of CO2 or metals, retrofitting is more attractive than new electrics. In terms of CO2, any electric option (new or retrofit) is better than combustion.
As far as the material footprint is concerned, the advantage is in keeping the internal combustion vehicle the same, but this advantage is much smaller in the case of a retrofit than in the case of the purchase of a new vehicle. NB: if the internal combustion vehicle is abandoned in favour of a new electric bike, the additional material cost becomes negligible :)
If we're talking about money (the calculation assumptions are specified in the publication), retrofitting is the best option for buses and vans, but simply ‘neutral’ (compared with internal combustion) for the city car (with 10,000 km per year; by driving more, the advantage would shift to retrofitting).
Retrofit is therefore an excellent option for electrifying mobility. It's also an activity that's easy for SMEs and VSEs to develop, while the manufacture of new electric cars will remain more concentrated. Something to think about!”
Jean-Claude Jancovici, Partner Carbone 4 - Chairman The Shift Project
on Linkedin on 8 September 2024
Vehicle retrofit : what potential for decarbonizing the transport sector?
2 SEPT. 2024
Authors : Thibault Belin, Carles Ponsa Sala
‘As we have mentioned in other articles, the electrification of vehicles is a key challenge for the transition. There are two possible options for achieving this electrification. The first is to replace the fleet with electric vehicles. The second is to convert internal combustion vehicles into electric vehicles: this is known as electric retrofitting.
Carbone 4 has analysed the relevance and potential of electric retrofitting for 3 types of vehicle (cars, light commercial vehicles and buses).
To what extent can it be a means of accelerating the electrification of the fleet? In which cases does it make sense from a climate or financial point of view? »
Read the full study : https://www.carbone4.com/analyse-retrofit-vehicules
