19 October 2023
Bedeo is targeting 20,000 conversions per year, refurbishing every van it gets
Tech is independent of drivetrain and prolongs service life of vans for around £25k
UK-based company Bedeo has launched an electric powertrain for existing diesel vans that enhances their last-mile delivery capability, preserves their diesel range and extends their operating life.
Comprising a battery pack, a control module and a pair of in-wheel electric motors, it is intended for use in large, 3.5-tonne vans such as the Fiat Ducato and Vauxhall Movano.
Bedeo plans to retrofit the EV system, which costs from around £25,000, at its production line in France, where the government gives retrofitters an £8000 subsidy per fossil-fuelled vehicle. The motors are made by Protean, a division of Bedeo, and fit inside the rear wheels.
To preserve the van’s ground clearance, load volume and floor height, the 37kWh battery pack, which yields an electric range of around 72 miles and is partially recharged by braking, is located within the chassis and requires no modifications to the suspension.
Unlike a full hybrid system, which blends both powerplants, the motor in Bedeo’s RE-100 Range Extender system is independent of the engine.
The van starts in electric mode and can be driven in diesel mode only when the driver stops and selects it. Returning to electric mode can be done on the move by the driver disengaging the gearbox and selecting electric drive. When the vehicle recognises that it’s entering a low-emissions zone, it will automatically prompt the driver to shut down the diesel engine.
Conversions will be carried out in France because of the country’s subsidy scheme, but Bedeo plans to establish more conversion locations, including in the UK, as demand dictates.
Bedeo claims its solution, which it calls Reborn Electric, suits bespoke-fitted vans, such as refrigerated ones, that have already been converted at great cost and whose operators can’t afford new, £50,000-plus electric vans.
“On an unconverted van, the return on investment using our system might be up to five years, but where the van has already been expensively converted for a specific application, the return would be much quicker,” said Bedeo founder and CEO Osman Boyner.
“Currently, operators have three options: sell your old van for £8000, buy a new diesel van for around £25,000 or buy a new electric van for £50,000. For around £25,000, we give them a fourth, hybrid solution that is good for a company’s bottom line and for sustainability in the sense that the operator is maximising a vehicle’s usefulness rather than just replacing it.”
What is it like to drive?
Apart from the electric motors visible through the spokes of the Citroën Relay’s rear wheels, there are few clues to the dual nature of Bedeo’s demonstrator van.
In the cab, it’s more obvious: on the dashboard is a neatly integrated control panel incorporating the powertrain mode button, while the rear-view mirror, redundant before anyway, displays the battery status.
The van starts in electric mode off the ignition key and away we go, smoothly and quietly. This aspect is sure to win plaudits from drivers exhausted by a diesel van’s perpetual vibration, shunting and clatter.
Forgetting it’s in electric mode, I dip the clutch and try to select a gear but, fortunately, a mechanical transmission lock prevents the lever from moving.
I stop the van and restart it in diesel mode. The noise and shunting soon become wearing, so I stop and change back to electric by selecting neutral and pressing the Mode button. The diesel engine cuts out and the electric motor takes over, seamlessly and quietly.