Electric cars are great. If we could all afford them, we’d probably all have them, and the world would be a healthier place. But when the price point is so high, many of us are waiting until the supply of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia brings it down. But in a small industrial complex in Melbourne, a small business isn’t waiting. The team at EVolution specialises in world-class electric vehicle conversion, so people can keep driving the cars they love – without the carbon fumes they don’t.
EVolution was founded after director Russell Shepherd converted his own Audi A3 from an internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric drive. Shepherd had sought to buy an EV in 2015, but wasn’t interested in anything available on the market – especially when prices start at around $48,000 in Australia. Once he and a savvy friend had finished their first electric vehicle conversion, they started thinking of ways to make the process both more affordable and more scalable.
Shepherd founded EVolution, and with the help of some funding, brought together a team of five mechanical and engineering experts and established their workshop in Melbourne’s Clayton South.
EVolution primarily worked on EV charging equipment and advice, until a blog post about Shepherd’s Audi conversion recently brought a new wave of demand for cutting-edge electric car conversion services. First, they converted two classic Land Rovers.
Now, the company has converted six vehicles, with seven more in progress, and are the leading portable EV and EVSE charger and accessory supplier in Australia and New Zealand. EVolution also does repairs, servicing and pre-purchase inspection for electric cars.
EVolution’s success could be in part due to the lack of access that Australians have to affordable electric cars. The best-selling EVs in Europe and the US are not available in Australia for a number of reasons – including the fact that Australia offers very little incentives to consumers to invest in them, and in turn, manufacturers have little incentive to ship them here.
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