EV retrofit specialists wins Australian innovation challenge

Australian plug-and-play EV control system provider Veepower has won a major innovation award for its technology that simplifies the process of EV retrofitting vehicles.

Hosted by EnergyLab and New Energy Nexus, this year’s Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge focused on accelerating the transition of Australia’s vehicle fleet to electric with the goal of developing a scalable solution capable of retrofitting over 10 million vehicles.

Veepower, an offshoot of Melbourne-based electric vehicle controls consultancy Cuedo Controls, has developed the Veepower Veepilot, which provides a plug-and-play control system that integrates supervisory control of critical components for the powertrain, body, and charging.

Unlike traditional electric retrofit solutions which often require bespoke software development or complex integration of numerous third-party systems, the Veepower Veepilot is a unified platform designed from the outset to streamline the retrofit process.

“We have a product that can enable anyone with a garage to repower any vehicle class into an EV with about the same effort as doing an engine swap – from individuals to company fleets,” said Kyle Van Berendonck, founder and lead software developer of Veepower.

“We’re incredibly excited to scale from what we’ve learned in the Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge and unlock rapid growth in mass EV retrofits.”

Reducing the technical complexity and time required for an electric retrofit, Veepilot makes it easier and more cost-effective for vehicle converters, builders, and integrators to transition vehicles to electric drivetrains.

A cohort of 12 start-ups were selected in September for the second annual Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge, which provided support in the form of online sessions with international and domestic experts in finance, intellectual property, and business growth.

“This cohort will be the spark for an industry that could electrify half the Australian vehicle fleet and increase domestic battery demand twenty times over to 1.3TWh, while providing the skills, services and equipment to emerging markets around the world,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager for Supercharge Australia.

“In Australia alone we have the potential to generate demand for AU$181 billion worth of Australian-made lithium batteries, targeting a replacement market of AU$700 billion in vehicle sales.”

Having won this year’s Challenge, Veepower will now have the opportunity to join an expert guided visit by Danny Kennedy, EnergyLab director and venture partner at New Energy Nexus Ventures, to California’s startup ecosystem, centred in the San Francisco Bay Area.