Stable driving behavior due to optimized center of gravity: Find the right retrofit for your fleet
Stable driving behavior due to optimized center of gravity: Find the right retrofit for your fleet
Up to 425 kilometers of range after a diesel-to-electric upgrade – and without the cost of a new vehicle. Rising diesel prices and strict environmental regulations are forcing fleet operators to take action. An intelligent retrofitting offers more than just compliance: it fundamentally optimizes vehicle stability.
The topic briefly and concisely
A DTE conversion lowers the vehicle's center of gravity by placing the batteries low, which significantly increases driving stability and safety.
The KsNI directive funded the conversion of commercial vehicles until 2024 with up to 80% of the additional costs – since August 2024, no new calls for funding are planned.
By continuing to use the vehicle chassis in the spirit of the circular economy, a retrofit conserves resources and maintains the value of expensive special builds.
For fleet managers in the public and commercial sectors, modernizing the vehicle fleet is a complex challenge. Confronted with rising operating costs, the bureaucracy of funding applications, and the strict requirements of the Clean Vehicles Directive, many are looking for a pragmatic solution. The goal is to make a future-proof decision that combines economic efficiency and sustainability. Professional conversion is often the strategically wiser path here than buying new. This article explains how you can find a conversion that optimizes the vehicle's center of gravity for stable driving behavior, reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) – and where government funding stands today: The federal KsNI funding covered up to 80% of the additional costs until 2024, no new funding calls are planned.
Redefine the vehicle center of gravity to improve performance
Many fleet operators underestimate how much the drive system influences the driving characteristics of a van. A conventional diesel engine is a heavy block positioned high in the vehicle, which shifts the center of gravity upwards. This can lead to a noticeable body roll in curves or during quick evasive maneuvers. Converting to an electric drive fundamentally changes the weight distribution and thus becomes the decisive factor for vehicle control.
In a HEERO conversion, the old combustion engine and the tank are removed. In their place, a compact electric motor and a battery pack with 110 kWh gross capacity are placed deep within the vehicle frame. This rearrangement significantly lowers the vehicle's center of gravity. The result is significantly improved road holding and more agile handling, which increases safety for drivers and cargo many times over. The optimized axle load distribution ensures more traction and a confident driving experience. This turns a standard van into a vehicle with superior driving dynamics. Learn more about the technical specifications of a conversion.
This technical optimization is more than just a side effect; it is a key benefit of electrification that makes everyday work safer and more efficient.
4-point action plan for 80 percent funding by 2024
The path to an electrified fleet and the associated funding often seems bureaucratic. However, a clear plan helps even now, after the KsNI application deadline has expired in 2024. Carry out the following four steps:
Conduct a fleet needs analysis: Record the daily routes, the typical payload, and the idle times of your vehicles. This creates the data basis for selecting the suitable conversion solution, such as a DTE Sprinter with up to 425 kilometers of range.
Calculate Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Compare the acquisition and conversion costs with the savings in energy, maintenance, taxes, and insurance. A DTE conversion reduces operating costs by up to 50 percent.
Check funding opportunities and classify deadlines: The KsNI funding directive of the BMDV subsidized the conversion with up to 80% of the additional costs; the charging infrastructure was also eligible for funding. It ran until 2024, and no new funding calls are planned.
Request a free funding analysis: Use the expertise of specialists to classify your options. A professional analysis shows which programs are eligible at all and which documents a later application must correctly prove. This is how you increase driving comfort for your employees.
Through this structured approach, the application process becomes a plannable process instead of a bureaucratic hurdle.
Use the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) as a basis for decision-making.
The pure purchase price or the conversion costs are only part of the truth. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) offers a complete overview of all costs incurred over the entire service life of a vehicle. This key figure is crucial for evaluating the true cost-effectiveness of an investment. When converting a diesel van to an electric vehicle, the TCO is significantly lower than for a comparable combustion engine.
The most important factors that positively influence the TCO are:
Energy costs: The cost of electricity per 100 kilometers is more than 60% lower than for diesel.
Maintenance and repair: An electric motor has up to 90% fewer moving parts than a diesel engine, which drastically reduces maintenance efforts.
Taxes and duties: Electric vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax for ten years.
CO₂ pricing: Future rising costs for CO₂ emissions are completely eliminated.
Subsidies: The KsNI grant of up to 80% of the additional costs massively reduced the initial investment; the guideline ran until 2024.
Many companies find that the investment in a conversion pays off after just three to four years. A detailed TCO analysis shows the enormous potential for savings and provides a data-based foundation for your decision.
Establishing the circular economy as a sustainable business model
A conversion from diesel to electric is a prime example of a functioning circular economy. Instead of scrapping a fully functional vehicle with an expensive specialized body, its lifecycle is extended by at least ten years. This not only conserves valuable resources but also avoids the CO₂ emissions that would be generated during the production of a completely new vehicle. This saving alone is equivalent to the energy consumption of a converted vehicle for approximately 50,000 kilometers.
The "conversion instead of new purchase" approach has several advantages:
Resource conservation: The chassis, the body, and large parts of the vehicle frame are preserved.
CO₂ reduction: The embodied energy contained in the manufacturing of the base vehicle continues to be utilized.
Value retention: Expensive and proven specialized bodies, for example for trade or logistics, do not need to be purchased anew.
Future viability: You already meet the requirements of tomorrow today, such as those defined in the Clean Vehicles Directive.
By converting, you position your company as a pioneer in sustainability. This approach proves that ecology and economy are not contradictions, but rather reinforce each other. Read about how we develop the strongest e-transporter.
The decision to convert is therefore not only a technical but also a strategic course setting for a more sustainable future.
Building the right charging infrastructure: 40 percent funding until 2024
The best range is useless without a reliable charging infrastructure. A HEERO DTE-Sprinter can charge with up to 135 kW direct current (DC), which means that the 96 kWh net battery is charged to 80% in about 40 minutes. For the operation of an e-fleet, building your own non-public charging infrastructure on the company premises is essential. This ensures availability and reduces charging costs compared to public stations.
For context: Under the BMDV guideline, the federal government funded not only the vehicles, but also the necessary charging infrastructure; the KsNI ran until 2024. KfW also offers corresponding programs. Eligible for funding were not only the wallboxes or charging stations themselves, but also the grid connection and necessary installation work. An intelligent load management system ensures that the charging processes are optimally controlled and expensive peak loads are avoided.
The planning of the charging infrastructure should take place parallel to the vehicle procurement to ensure a smooth transition. This is how you ensure that your fleet is fully operational from day one.
Start your free subsidy analysis
The federal KsNI funding ran until 2024 and has been discontinued since August 2024. Nevertheless, position your fleet for the future and check which programs are still active today. A professional conversion not only optimizes your vehicle's center of gravity for more stable driving behavior, but also sustainably reduces your operating costs. It is the fastest and most economical way to meet the requirements of the Clean Vehicles Directive while simultaneously contributing to the circular economy.
Start your funding analysis: Answer three questions and receive your grant roadmap showing the current status of funding programs.
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More useful links
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) provides information on funding guidelines for electromobility in the commercial vehicle sector, including the retrofitting of existing vehicles.
European Union (EUR-Lex) provides access to Directive (EU) 2019/1161, known as the Clean Vehicles Directive, which sets requirements for the procurement of clean vehicles.
KfW offers funding programs for companies wishing to invest in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles to support the transition to electromobility.
