Friday, April 3, the Official Journal has just published the “retrofit” decree. This publication in the midst of the health and economic crisis, is received by the French retrofit industry as a more than positive sign, particularly in terms of revival of activity. But also in favour of the environment.
Photos: Juhasz Imre – Pexels and Jelleke Vanooteghem – Unsplash
Retrofit for which vehicles?
This decree of 13 March provides a regulatory framework for the conversion of internal combustion vehicles to electric traction, known as retrofit. The text will allow the development, creation and structuring of a new sector in terms of sustainable mobility and circular economy.
Now that it is official in France, all internal combustion vehicles more than 5 years old (cars, commercial vehicles, trucks, buses and coaches) as well as motorized 2 and 3-wheelers more than 3 years old, can be converted to electric traction. Excluding car registration documents and agricultural machinery which are not concerned.
Read also: What is electric conversion or retrofit?
It took two years of work to bring the retrofit to France.
For almost 2 years, the AIRe association (French association of actors in the electrical retrofit industry), UTAC, CNRV and the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition have been working together.
The aim was to develop a regulatory, technical, administrative and economic framework enabling professionals to convert a combustion car into an electric one, just like LCVs, two-wheelers… under the necessary safety and quality guarantees.
Arnaud Pigounides and Gérard Feldzer, both Co-Presidents of the AIRe association, comment :
“Retrofitting is now officially recognized as a sustainable mobility solution and a job-creating activity in France. This is good ecological and economic news. Retrofitting will give a second life to petrol or diesel vehicles. It’s a virtuous recycling solution to avoid the need to garage or scrap internal combustion vehicles, which are subject to numerous penalties, traffic restrictions, fuel increases, etc., which will create a new job-creating activity throughout the country“.
Photo: icon0.com – Pexels
Concretely, the retrofit in France?
A stream of professionals to come
With this decree, the activity will be supervised and the future retrofit professionals will have to be authorized and have obtained the authorization of homologation and of their transformation process. All this, having strictly followed the specifications drawn up within the framework of these regulations.
On a daily basis:
- No CO2 emissions
- Savings per km
- No traffic restrictions in EPZs
- Maintenance reduced to a minimum
- Excellent carbon footprint
- Daily advantages (reduced or free parking …)
On a national scale :
Retrofitted vehicles in France
- The creation of new economic activity, in the direction of energy transition
- An activity that fits perfectly with the challenges of the circular economy