Bedeo, a British company that supplies electric powertrains for vans, has announced a new service that will turn thousands of diesel vans into electric hybrids. The service will start in France, where the government offers a 9,000-euro subsidy for retrofitting old fossil-fuel models.

The service involves installing a 37-kilowatt hour battery and Protean Electric in-wheel motors on the rear wheels of a diesel van. The battery can be plugged in and provide up to 120 kilometres of electric range, which covers most delivery routes. The van can also run on diesel when needed.

Bedeo’s CEO Osman Boyner said that the conversion kit costs 30,000 euros and is aimed at smaller fleets of vans that have special features such as refrigeration units and cannot afford to buy new electric models.

Bedeo, which also makes electric powertrains for Stellantis, the world’s third-largest automaker, will set up a factory in France in early 2024 to qualify for the French subsidies. Boyner said that the company is looking at production options in France.

Protean Electric, which was acquired by Bedeo in 2022 from a Chinese group, is the maker of the in-wheel motors that are used in the conversion kit. Protean’s CEO Andrew Whitehead said that several carmakers in China and Europe are also interested in using its in-wheel motors for new models.