Stellantis and Qinomic Collaborate on Electric Retrofitting
Stellantis N.V. and Qinomic, a high-tech company specialising in innovative and sustainable mobility solutions, are collaborating to develop a proof-of-concept for converting internal combustion engine light commercial vehicles to electric drivetrains while maintaining OEM quality and specifications such as safety, durability, and type approval.
Alison Jones, Senior Vice President of Stellantis's Circular Economy Business Unit, said, "I am thrilled that Stellantis is working with Qinomic on this development in retrofit technology. This innovation gives our professional customers the choice to convert their current vans to electric, extend their vehicle’s life, and meet legislative and mobility requirements.”
Together with the Commercial Vehicle Business Unit and the Stellantis Ventures Studio, the Stellantis Circular Economy Business Unit is working to make vehicles last longer and be used more often.
The goal of the electric retrofit solution is to protect the freedom to move around by giving customers an affordable way to extend the life of their vehicles and keep doing business while going through low emissions zones (LEZ) in cities.
The number of LEZ zones in Europe has grown by 40% in the last three years, according to the EIT Urban Mobility Report, and it will continue to grow as part of the enforcement of urban vehicle access regulations. This rise is due to the European Green Deal plan, which aims to encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles and cleaner ways to get around.
Electric retrofitting is a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for clients who want to minimise their total cost of ownership while keeping their vehicles.
"Retrofitting technology will strengthen Stellantis' position as the leader in zero-emission mobility solutions for business customers, and it will go well with our full range of electric vans," said Xavier Peugeot, Senior Vice President of Stellantis' Commercial Vehicle Business Unit.
The project shows that Stellantis is committed to innovation and willing to work with partners who back its plan to electrify. As shown in the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis has an industry-leading decarbonisation strategy with an ambitious goal of carbon net zero by 2038.
“We are excited about this new strategic partnership with Stellantis,” said Frédéric Strady, Co-founder and CEO of Qinomic. "It's a big step in Qinomic's growth, and it will let us finish and use some of the innovative technical solutions we're working on for the retrofit industry."
If this joint development is finished successfully in 2023 and customers are happy with how the demo cars work, implementation and sales will start in France in 2024.
"City access restrictions will soon force new LCV owners to look for a way to switch to zero emissions in a market driven by the last mile," said Eric Laforge, Stellantis Vice President, Enlarged Europe Light Commercial Vehicles. “Retrofitting technology like this will enable Stellantis to support this trend.”
Source: Stellantis
