A startup founded by two former Atlassian senior executives that converts petrol-powered utes into electric ones has announced it’ll begin electrifying fleets of Toyota Hilux and Ford Rangers, with prices starting at $48,000 per vehicle.
Roev was founded by American-born Noah Wasmer, formerly of Apple and VMware, and Paul Slade, formerly of Vignette, who got talking while working together at tech titan Atlassian about the mere trickle of EVs hitting the thirsty Australian automotive market.
“There is huge demand for electric utes in Australia, particularly among large fleets,” Wasmer, whose family has long been a fixture in the Detroit automotive scene, said.
The entrepreneurial pair teamed up to create Roev, and spent the last two years working on converting petrol-powered cars into 100% electric ones, with the tech boffins putting their heads together with mechanics to combine knowledge sets.
Fast forward to now and the Roev EV Fleet Program offers two proposed configurations: a ‘Standard Pack’ delivering up to 240km of driving range, and an ‘Extended Pack’ delivering up to 360km of range.
Plus, a vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability will allow users to power their tools and equipment on-site through a 240v power outlet, with vehicle-to-home, vehicle-to-depot and vehicle-to-grid on the Roev horizon too.
“We’re excited to be working with fleets to unlock the potential of their fleets for energy storage, resilience, management and distribution,” Wasmer told SmartCompany.
So how does it work? Wasmer explains to SmartCompany the process “involves fully removing the diesel engine, exhaust and gearbox [from a car] and replacing it with an electric drive unit including battery packs”.
Roev says the cost of conversions will range from $47,990 to $59,990 a vehicle, and are available for 2016-or-later Toyota Hilux models or the Ford Ranger — one and two among the country’s most popular utes.
“Something we heard from a lot of fleets is the desire to convert slightly older vehicles to extend the life of their existing assets,” says Wasmer.
Each conversion takes a week and is open only to fleet customers initially, although Roev plans to extend the program to allow any person to bring their ICE-powered vehicle in for a battery.
And the ambitious automotive startup has pledged to go big: it’ll convert 1000 utes in the first 12 months, with the first round of reservations opening up in December.
The news comes in the same way that Labor struck a tax break deal with the Greens and powerbroker crossbenchers that’ll slash the cost of electric vehicles by up to $12,500 — but only on the condition that a similar support for hybrid vehicles (which use petrol part of the time) was phased out.
“These changes are a win for motorists, a win for businesses and a win for climate action,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
The tax change will be backdated to July 1, so buyers will receive the benefit this financial year.
It’ll see more EVs head onto our shores, but Wasmer says Australia can’t wait for car companies to catch up. After months of engagement with fleet customers, he says one thing remains crystal clear: “Australia needs electric utes in massive numbers”.
“Conversions are one way we can tackle the problem, but we also need imports and the mainstream brands to come to the party,” he says.
At the moment, EVs account for just 3% of the country’s national car sales — well behind New Zealand at 10% — with model selection, high price points, and scant charging stations proving prohibitive for prospective customers.
But every car that is converted is driving down our hefty carbon emissions. Light vehicles – including cars, 4x4s, SUVs and small commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes – account for 10% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“With a conversion, you’re not only adding an electric vehicle to your fleet, but you’re also taking a diesel vehicle off the road and preventing many years of future tailpipe C02 emissions,” Wasmer says.
“The [EV] race isn’t between car companies. It’s a race to protect our environment and the future for our children.”
Emma Elsworthy is Climate Editor at Crikey, SmartCompany, and The Mandarin, and writes daily morning newsletter the Worm. Before joining Crikey in 2021, Emma was a breaking news reporter in ABC’s Sydney newsroom, a journalist at BBC Australia, and a journalist in Fairfax Media’s regional network. She was part of a team awarded a Walkley for coverage of the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfire crisis, and won the Australian Press Council prize in 2013.
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