EVs & battery tech 52 www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2024 Switching to electric CTEK releases 10-point plan to accelerate electric car conversions in the UK The switch to EVs on UK roads could be speeded up by encouraging and enabling widescale conversion of petrol and diesel cars, according to EV charge point manufacturer CTEK. CTEK has issued a 10-point plan to make converting from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to EVs simpler and more affordable. Daniel Forsberg, CTEK’s marketing manager for EV supply equipment said: “Converting older ICE vehicles to electric power makes environmental sense — the millions of ICE cars on the road embody a huge amount of material resources and manufacturing manpower and energy costs. “A future in which tens of millions of ICE cars are all scrapped would be a tremendous waste of money, materials and the carbon dioxide already emitted during their making. And manufacturing a new EV involves a large carbon cost.” Forsberg said converting ICE cars to electric is entirely feasible, noting that the UK is already home to a growing number of boutique automotive businesses focused on such transformations. “They are often turning classic cars and vans into EVs, yet the principles are the same for more modern vehicles,” he said. “Currently conversions are expensive, which is one reason classic car owners are the main customer base. They often have the finances to pay for it and the incentive of wanting to give a cherished vehicle a fossil fuel free future.” To bring this option to the masses, Forsberg said drivers need incentivising and auto businesses need to be attracted to offer an affordable conversion service by making the process simpler. “The UK has a strong automotive industry with many skilled employees who can develop methods and processes to implement electric conversion in a cost-effective and environmentally conscious way.” Forsberg said the UK has many reasons to incentivise the conversion of older cars to electric power — environmental, economic and employment. “In Sweden, the government is looking seriously at this and in France there are already subsidies and a supportive regulatory framework, which has encouraged Renault to become active in conversion. “Imagine if some of the most numerous petrol and diesel cars on UK roads, such as Ford Fiestas and VW Golfs, could be cheaply converted to electric. That would be a real gamechanger on the UK’s drive to its EV future.” www.ctek.com Daniel Forsberg CTEK’s CC3 charge point
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