UK needs to support retrofit or risk leaving country and green transport goals in the red says BEDEO

A new white paper from global electric mobility manufacturer BEDEO has emphasised the need for UK government support and regulation of electric retrofit methods.

It reinforces concerns made by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) that the UK may miss its future net-zero targets.

The white paper addresses the need for investment and regulation in electric vehicle (EV) retrofitting solutions.

Farnham-based BEDEO says retrofitting is a proven solution to switch to cleaner powertrains, yet its fiscal support and regulation are at shockingly low levels.

Retrofitting is a way to swap internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to run on electric power – saving embedded carbon, material waste and money versus buying new.

Recently, UK government advisors, the CCC, warned that the UK is making "worryingly slow" progress towards its net-zero goals.

BEDEO points out that retrofit is a way to accelerate the adoption of EVs by converting used cars and vans to run on electric power.

With vehicles averaging 8.4 years old, it says the UK will continue to grapple with CO₂ emissions beyond 2035, despite the 2035 cut-off for all ICE car sales.

BEDEO, founded by Osman Boyner in 2009, has been championing the electrification of UK fleets since the company’s UK market introduction in 2012.

He said: “There’s still a lot of work to do for the adoption of EVs.

“When we came to the UK in 2012, it was due to the UK government’s pioneering vision and incentivisation of electrifying fleets (and passenger cars), but that seems to have fallen by the wayside.

“Retrofit is going to be important in our [the UK’s] quest for not only a circular economy, but also to adopt electrification, and I’m surprised they [the UK government] aren’t doing more to support it.

“When you look at how popular Vinted and eBay are for fashion – why can’t we do that with cars and vans? Why do we have to buy new?”

The white paper concludes with a call to action for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and fleet operators in the UK to prioritise investment in retrofit technologies.

BEDEO is submitting the white paper and other evidence to the government as officials review policies and processes relating to DVLA registrations for conversions.

The white paper, called ‘Accelerating the Transition, Supporting our Businesses: Enabling Low-Emission Fleets with Retrofit Electrification’, can be downloaded at bedeo.tech/whitepaper-accelerating-the-transition-supporting-our-businesses