How Much Does an Electric Retrofit Cost in 2025? Prices, Grants, and Profitability

Converting your internal combustion car to electric costs between €8,000 and €25,000, depending on the model and desired range. With 2025 grants reaching up to €5,000 for low-income households (taxable income below €16,300 per share), electric retrofitting is becoming an economical alternative to buying a new electric vehicle. But is this conversion truly cost-effective? Here's a complete breakdown of costs, procedures, and return on investment for your car.

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What Is the Price to Electrify Your Car?

The cost of a retrofit varies significantly depending on the type of car to be converted. For a gasoline city car like a Renault Twingo or Fiat 500, the investment ranges from €8,000 to €16,000. This amount provides a range of 150 to 200 kilometers, which is more than sufficient for daily urban trips. Compact sedans require a higher budget, between €15,000 and €20,000, but offer an extended range of 250 kilometers thanks to larger capacity batteries.

Professional utility vehicles represent the most significant investment, with prices ranging from €18,000 to €25,000. This difference is due to the specific adaptations required to support transported loads and maintain decent range despite the vehicle's higher weight. Diesel vehicles systematically add €2,000 to €3,000 to the estimate for complete exhaust system treatment and mandatory depollution before conversion.

Why Are There Price Differences in Conversion Kits?

The battery represents the main expense, accounting for 40 to 60% of the total conversion cost. A 30 kWh battery, sufficient for a city car, costs about €6,000. To reach 50 kWh and obtain better range, the price rises to €10,000. The electric motor is the second major element, costing between €3,000 and €5,000 depending on the required power and chosen technology.

Power electronics, including the inverter and management system, add €2,000 to €4,000 to the bill. UTAC homologation fees, a mandatory step to validate the compliance of your conversion, represent an additional €1,500 to €3,000 depending on the complexity of the technical file. Labor costs for complete installation, typically done in two to six days, are included in these overall prices.

2025 Grants That Drastically Reduce the Bill

The national retrofit grant adapts to the income of French households. Very low-income households with taxable income below €7,100 per share benefit from €5,000 in direct aid. Low-income households up to €15,400 per share also receive €5,000, while other households up to €24,900 per share get €1,500. This grant can be combined with the scrapping of an old polluting vehicle, adding up to €2,500 more for a diesel car pre-2011 or a gasoline car pre-2006.

Local authorities strengthen this system with their own grants. Île-de-France adds up to €2,500 to encourage the conversion of cars in the region. The Sud Region offers €2,000 specifically to professionals, while Grand Est combines a €1,500 subsidy with a zero-interest loan to finance the remaining balance. In total, the cumulative amount can reach €7,500, transforming a project initially costing €15,000 into an investment of only €7,500.

The Concrete Process of Electric Conversion

The transformation begins with verifying the eligibility of your car, which must be over five years old and in good mechanical condition. Several professionals are authorized to perform a certified retrofit: Transition-One specializes in city cars, Phoenix Mobility (now Tolv) is an expert in utility vehicles, Retrofuture, Noil, R-Fit, Retrofleet, and other emerging players.

The complete process spans two to four weeks. After the initial one-day diagnosis establishing the precise estimate, ordering the kit requires one to three weeks of lead time depending on stock. The actual installation mobilizes the workshop for two to six days, during which technicians remove the entire thermal system, install the electric motor, position the batteries, and reconfigure all the onboard electronics.

The mandatory UTAC inspection validates the technical and safety compliance of the conversion. Without this official homologation, it's impossible to obtain the new registration card mentioning the change of powertrain. This administrative modification, generally free in French regions, is completed in 48 hours. Insurance often decreases by 20%, as insurers consider electric cars less accident-prone.

Retrofit or New Purchase: The Economic Trade-off

The total cost of ownership analysis reveals the economic advantage of retrofitting for many profiles. After deducting grants, a conversion costs about €8,000 compared to at least €15,000 for an equivalent new electric vehicle, even with the ecological bonus. A recent used vehicle around €12,000 represents a compromise but remains more expensive than retrofitting depending on the available offer.

Usage savings significantly accelerate profitability. For 15,000 kilometers per year, you save €1,800 in fuel and €400 in maintenance compared to a thermal vehicle. The return on investment for retrofitting is achieved in four years, compared to eight years for a new purchase. Beyond 30,000 kilometers driven, conversion systematically becomes more cost-effective.

The range limited to an average of 200 kilometers remains the main constraint of retrofitting compared to the 400 kilometers of modern electric cars. This limitation is perfectly suited to daily urban and suburban trips but complicates long journeys. The two-year warranty on the kit with batteries guaranteed for 5 years or 100,000 km, compared to eight years on a new battery, is also a point of concern for cautious buyers.

Verdict: Is Retrofitting Really Worth It?

With a real cost ranging from €6,000 to €15,000 after grants depending on the chosen offer, electric retrofitting is an economically viable solution to extend the life of your car while accessing electric mobility. Profitability is quickly achieved for daily use, with fuel savings dividing your kilometer costs by four.

This solution is particularly suitable for owners of city cars and utility vehicles traveling less than 150 kilometers daily. For higher range needs or requiring ultra-fast charging at fast charging stations, buying a used electric vehicle remains preferable. The French retrofit market is gradually structuring with recognized professional players and a now stabilized regulatory framework, offering all the necessary guarantees to confidently take the step towards electric conversion of your car.