Retrofitting

A New Electric Life for Internal Combustion Vehicles

In today's automotive landscape, marked by the energy transition and the rise of Low Emission Zones (LEZs), retrofitting is emerging as an innovative solution. This concept, which aligns with our discussions on coding and remapping, allows for the transformation of an existing vehicle to adapt it to modern environmental challenges.

What is Retrofitting?

Retrofitting involves replacing a vehicle's internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) with an electric motor and battery. The goal is to give older vehicles, in particular, a second life by making them zero-emission at the tailpipe. This allows them to continue circulating, especially within LEZs, while extending their lifespan and reducing their carbon footprint.

Retrofitting has been legal and regulated almost everywhere in Europe since March 2020. This regulation mandates the use of approved conversion kits and that these transformations be carried out by authorized professionals. Once converted, the vehicle receives a new registration certificate with the designation "EL" (electric).

The Link with Coding and Remapping

While retrofitting is a major physical transformation, it has interesting points of convergence with the world of software modifications:

• Electronic Management: A retrofitted vehicle requires a new electronic management system (the equivalent of an ECU for an electric motor) to manage power, the battery, and interact with the vehicle's existing systems (power steering, braking, air conditioning, etc.). This is where expertise in understanding and configuring ECUs is crucial.

• Adaptation of Peripheral ECUs: The vehicle's original ECUs (ABS, ESP, gearbox if not removed, etc.) must be informed of the new powertrain. This can involve software adaptations, which sometimes resemble coding. For example, it's often necessary to "tell" the onboard computer that there's no longer an internal combustion engine to prevent error codes from appearing or degraded modes from being triggered.

• Software Optimization: Just as an internal combustion engine calibration can be optimized, it's possible to optimize the electric motor's management software to fine-tune performance, range, or vehicle behavior. This is akin to a form of remapping adapted to the electric domain.

Why is Retrofitting Relevant?

Retrofitting offers several advantages:

• Ecological: It extends the lifespan of vehicles and reduces the production of new ones.

• Economical: It can be a less expensive alternative to purchasing a new electric vehicle.

• Access to LEZs: It allows existing vehicles to adapt to increasing traffic restrictions.

• Heritage: It offers the possibility of preserving collector vehicles or those with high sentimental value by making them compatible with the future.

Conclusion: The Future of Optimization at WOT

Retrofitting is a rapidly evolving field that demonstrates how technology can reinvent the use of our vehicles. It perfectly illustrates the complexity and richness of automotive electronic modifications, whether they involve major physical changes or fine software optimizations.

However, while retrofitting is an exciting solution for extending vehicle life, it's not the path WOT will directly pursue. Our expertise and passion lie in engine remapping, which we perform on both internal combustion and electric motors. Our deep conviction is that the future of automotive personalization lies in the perpetuation of internal combustion engines. We are committed to offering high-performance remapping that complies with all anti-pollution standards. In our view, the future of remapping will inevitably involve the homologation of our modifications, guaranteeing performance and environmental respect for sustainable mobility.