Silverstone-based Lunaz – a specialist in converting classic luxury cars to electric drivetrains and “upcycling” heavy vehicle fleets – has announced a major expansion to its UK facilities that will make it the largest of its kind in the UK.
Lunaz, which is backed by former British soccer star footballer David Beckham, specialises in converting classic motor vehicles such as the classic Range Rovers and Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Silver Clouds to electric drivetrains.
Using its own proprietary electric powertrain, Lunaz has also been able to bring to market the first fully electric versions from Range Rover, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and Jaguar.
Now, it is looking beyond electrifying luxury classic cars and will start to electrify industrial vehicles on a mass global scale, starting with heavy goods vehicles including refuse trucks.
Announced on Thursday, Lunaz revealed that they are planning to expand its manufacturing footprint by 400% at its Silverstone facilities.
The expansion will create 300 highly skilled jobs and will be able to electrify 1,100 vehicles per year, saving 44,000 tonnes of embedded carbon from being scrapped and instead of replacing with new electric vehicles.
“Ours and previous generations built billions of vehicles,” said David Lorenz, Founder and CEO, Lunaz.
“Now is the time to realise the potential of remanufacturing to break the replace-with-new cycle by electrifying them for future generations.”
Lunaz has previously announced a deal to electrify Buckinghamshire Council’s fleet of diesel refuse trucks rather than scrapping them and buying new.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.