A new retrofit solution uses in-wheel motor (IWM) technology to make existing diesel vans electric or allow their operation as hybrid diesel-electric vehicles.
Launched by BEDEO, an EV supplier and manufacturer based in Farnham in the United Kingdom, the RE-100 Range Extender, part of the company's Reborn Electric range, enables organisations to retain vehicles for longer while still transitioning to an electric future.
A vehicle fitted with the RE-100 Range Extender is electric first, with 117km of electric range, making it ideal for ‘Last Mile’ deliveries.
Its existing diesel mode can be used when needed for longer trips, switching to electric when entering a low-emission zone and densely populated areas to eliminate emissions and accelerate decarbonisation.
At the heart of RE-100 are two in-wheel motors fitted to the rear axle of the vehicle.
The motors are more compact, lighter, efficient and easier to install than an equivalent e-axle and powered by a 37kWh battery.
No suspension modifications are required to the front or rear, which means there is no loss of ground clearance and no loss of load space or height.
The technology is already being used by businesses including OCADO, DHL and TNT.
Electric vans today don’t meet the needs of the market and even Euro VI diesel vans are still responsible for a disproportionate amount of carbon emissions.
With the RE-100 we have created a new category of hybrid that not only meets the needs of the market but also accelerates transport decarbonisation.”
The RE-100 is a hybrid in as much as it can have two modes of power – electric and diesel – but with the BEDEO technology the vehicle cannot be operated as diesel within controlled low emissions zones, unless in an emergency.
Outside of controlled zones the driver is in control and can determine when to stay in electric for a more pleasant driving experience, or switch to diesel for longer distances.
The ability to retrofit IWM into an existing vehicle is an entirely new proposition: “BEDEO has leveraged this advanced IWM technology to develop the next generation of retrofit vehicles, unlimited by the constraints of a standard e-axle,” Boyner says.
Boyner believes that while switching to an all-electric fleet is desirable, it is also very expensive and wasteful, requiring investment not only in the vehicles themselves, but also the infrastructure to support them: “While sustainability is, of course, a key driver, the end-to-end sustainability (whole lifecycle) of the vehicle also needs to be taken into account,” he says. “It cannot be sustainable to replace a vehicle that has not reached the end of its useful working life, neither is it sustainable to replace not only the vehicle, but also the refrigeration units or bespoke fit-out that many of these vehicles have.
