While EV West is taking electric conversions to the next level with its resurrected 1968 Porsche 912, the industry, other companies and bystanders are also looking at ways to make the EV-world more circular.

Converting old-timers, re-using old parts for electric driving and turning busses, agriculture vehicles, trains and boats into electric vehicles has been a hot topic in recent EV-years. With a 1968 Porsche 912 converted by EV West as the ultimate dream and do-it-yourself electric conversions as hope for the green self-starters, it looks like we can make anything electric.

There’s a French company that says it can make any car electric for as little as € 8000,- and a Dutch company that’s been asked to convert the tow trucks alongside the Boulevard Périphérique in Paris. All exciting and fun and a great way to reuse old cars and materials, but how’s circular thinking influencing the build of new EV-cars?

Circular starts where now?

While circular economy suggests that it doesn’t really have a beginning or ending, it helps to think of a few basics before production gets going. For example: If you make a shirt you think of the fabric you will use, before production. So, you ask questions if the material you use can either be reused or re-applied to fit another product. Same goes for electric cars.

Where Volkswagen focuses on recuperating old material, like cobalt, lithium, manganese and nickel. Groupe Renault focuses more on reusing batteries so they have as little impact on the environment as possible. BMW in the meanwhile is making a used material interior for their BMWi3 and almost the whole car can be recycled.

Challenges

It’s good to know bigger companies are working on the future, but what can we do now? The biggest challenge in driving an EV is that it’s not a 100% pure sustainable yet. The minerals needed for the batteries are still coming from mines which are, to say the least, frowned upon. But the industry and its consumers are learning. Although it still looks unlikely to be possible, scientists and start-ups are for instance eagerly trying to develop cobalt free batteries. 

Allego always aims to keep driving forward. Reusing old chargers, green charging, using recycled materials and constantly looking for ways to work as sustainable as possible. In 2019 alone, Allego reduced over 47,369,000 kgs of CO2. Who knows? In a few years recycling used cars for new chargers might even be the next step.

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