Overview
- A Fraunhofer‑ISI analysis finds that converting large numbers of existing cars would cut emissions significantly, estimating about 1.15 tonnes of CO2 saved per retrofitted Golf‑7 on Germany’s grid and up to 1.9 tonnes with solar charging and extrapolating to roughly 2.76 million tonnes per year for 2.4 million Golf‑7s.
- Munich start‑up E‑Revolt says it can retrofit cars for about €12,500 including a two‑year warranty and is aiming to industrialize conversions, though its future scale-up plans are reported rather than independently confirmed.
- The federal purchase subsidy for electric vehicles currently applies only to new EVs, and the Transport Ministry says retrofit costs generally exceed the price of a new market‑ready EV, leaving conversions outside state support.
- Industry bodies warn that retrofits face major technical hurdles because modern cars are tightly integrated systems that involve chassis, brakes, thermal management, high‑voltage safety and vehicle software, which can make conversions complex and costly.
- Market incentives also work against retrofits: dealer and manufacturer discounts have recently made many new petrol and diesel cars roughly €1,997 cheaper than comparable EVs and EV subsidy budgets risk running down, while a record average car age of 10.9 years may push some owners to consider conversion instead of buying new.