RETRO by Exeeder Combines Conversion Training With New Tech Retrofit Kits to Dominate the EV Conversion Industry
RETRO by Exeeder, LLC, (RETRO) a division of Derek Automotive, America’s first minority-controlled EV maker (derekautomotive.com) founded by tech entrepreneur Derek Bailey, announces the global expansion of its retrofitting operations. Expansion includes the launch of Retro University, LLC, a new learning platform and online university that will teach students how to convert fuel-drive vehicles to electric-drive, generally known as ’retrofitting.’
The news comes on the heels of a recent article in the Washington Post: ‘Glaciers in Yosemite and Africa will disappear by 2050, U.N. warns’, and another that predicts the number of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) on US roads could increase to 43 million by 2035, and globally to 245 million.
“It’s clear our world is in a climate crisis, and the growth in EV use will significantly increase demand for the minerals used in batteries, which are carbon intensive to mine. The manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries and vehicle bodies contributes 14 percent to 24 percent of a vehicle’s life-cycle global warming emissions, depending on where and how batteries are manufactured, as well as on the sources of raw materials (Ambrose et al. 2020).
The manufacturing of a battery-powered electric vehicle contributes about 70 grams of carbon dioxide–equivalent emissions per mile (g CO2e/mile) compared with 40 grams for the manufacture of a comparably sized gasoline vehicle. But because BEV’s use plug-in charging, this lowers the total global warming emissions for BEVs on the average grid in the United States are less than half those for gasoline vehicles (200 g CO2e/mile vs. 450 g CO2e/mile). The Post’s article suggests drastic cuts in emissions are needed to stabilize our climate and we can reach these goals by retrofitting existing gas car bodies to electric drive, which would save the carbon produced in new car production, plus eliminate the pollution from older gas vehicles.
It’s a good idea not to generate MORE carbon when the goal is to reduce carbon emissions. A national effort to retrofit the more than 170 million cars on US roads to electric-drive could eliminate more than 200 million metric tons of CO2, while creating millions of what RETRO calls, ‘high-wage, green-collar’ jobs.
Bailey added, “Our RETRO division will incentivize drivers around the world to go electric-drive because our Proteus technology converts any fuel into clean electricity at the point-of-use, meaning EV users have a method to recharge their vehicles even when the grid is not available. The carbon footprint of Proteus-generated energy is comparable to a kWh generated at a natural gas plant. Still, since the energy is created at the vehicle, there are no transmission losses, which can consume up to 40% of the energy during transmission (Conservation). The ability to generate low-carbon electricity in the vehicle means RETRO’s vehicles can recharge without the electric grid AND supply power TO the grid. On islands and in second and third-world countries, Proteus technology will provide a ‘Redundant Charging Option” when the grid is DOWN, OVER-LOADED, or simply INCONVENIENT TO USE. More consumers will go electric when they know they can continue to drive their electric vehicles when power lines are down due to storms and other typical weather events. Getting everyone on an electric drivetrain is critical.”
The ability to produce clean power at the vehicle reduces the battery size required to provide an acceptable driving range. Reducing battery cost means a less expensive retrofit, and RETRO’s goal is to reduce the price for a standard conversion kits (200 miles) to under $15,000, making electric drive affordable for nearly all consumers. RETRO’s re-manufactured vehicles can be sold profitably through Derek Automotive sales centers for around $30,000,” Bailey added.
RETRO by Exceeder was formed when Derek Automotive partnered with EV conversion expert and YouTube superstar Gregory Coles (YouTube: greggoeseletric) to combine Greg’s conversion team’s expertise with Derek Automotive’s Proteus Generator technology.
According to Gregory Coles, now President of RETRO by Exeeder, the company’s plan centers on a dual strategy for expanding RETRO and the retrofitting industry overall. The first step is to launch RETRO University, a global, online vehicle conversion course that teaches students the fundamentals of EV conversion. This course will entail working with high-voltage systems and other core skills that prepare students for hands-on experience retrofitting vehicles. To rapidly build a network of training centers, RETRO is partnering with existing vehicle repair shops, who are already training to become Proteus system installers and training partners. The second part of the strategy is to open a beehive of RETRO shops to install Proteus Conversion Kits globally. Coles said, “Early customers have expressed extreme excitement at having the option to generate low-carbon electricity right in their car. The excitement comes especially from female customers who worry about sitting at remote charging stations, alone, at night.”
Global governments and institutions have set a goal of having half the operating vehicles be electric by 2040. This goal can only be achieved by retrofitting older gas vehicles, putting RETRO by Exceeder in a fantastic position to take the lead position in the gas-to-electric conversion industry, especially in countries with less reliable or fragile electric grids.
Derek Automotive’s Electa Mobility brand is establishing its first international location in Tulum, Mexico. Mr. Bailey says, “where one brand lands, the others are sure to follow, so one should look for RETRO in Mexico and throughout Latin America very soon.”
About Derek Group
About RETRO by Exeeder, LLC
Retro by Exeeder, LLC is a startup Puerto Rico corporation formed in September 2022, to build an industry around retrofitting ICE vehicles to electric drive-trains, incorporating open-source EV technology along with its parent company’s patented and patent pending battery charging and EV propulsion technologies.
About Derek Automotive
As America’s first minority-controlled electric vehicle maker, Derek Automotive is developing vehicles, technology, and retrofit services that will shift the way we think about and recharge electric vehicles. The Company’s mission is to become the most significant carbon reduction company in the world.