What challenge is tackling this project ?
Transport is one of the main concerns of our modern societies and is part of our way of life. For instance, a French citizen used to travel 5 kilometers a day by walking in 1880. In 2015, the same French citizen travels over 50 kilometers a day, of which 75% by car. In the meantime, half of transport emissions are due to personal vehicles, which accounts for 16% of total GHG emissions. Cars also represent the main lever of action to reduce one’s personal carbon footprint: it represents 21% of the footprint of an average French citizen. It constitutes a major challenge of the environmental transition.
One of the most promising and mature solutions is electric car: electrified vehicles should represent a third a new vehicles sales by 2025 and 51% by 2030. In 2022, it should already reach 7 million of new electric cars.
But electric vehicles are not as green as they are described: their production can be more carbon-intensive than fossil-fuel vehicles because of the battery production and their footprint highly depends on the electricity mix that powers the electric car. Despite this, the Life Cost Analysis (LCA) of an electric vehicle shows that an electric car is 3 to 4 times less emissive over its life than its equivalent in thermal engine.
Thus electric vehicles seem to be playing a major part in the transition on transportation for individual mobility. The European Commission financed an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) called European Battery Innovation, gathering 42 industrial and institutional partners for the amount of 2.9 billion euros, following a previous project (2019) of 2.3 billion euros. Europe also plans to forbid the production of thermal cars by 2035. Almost every famous car manufacturer has announced to produce only electric new vehicles by 2035 (Volkwagen, General Motors, Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, …).
It is therefore necessary to develop a whole ecosystem of maintenance around the electric vehicle to make it attractive and more sustainable.
What solution does Revolte provide ?
Electric vehicles are a booming market but the aftermarket of electric cars is rather unprepared. Mechanics haven’t been trained to repair and maintain electric vehicles. Garages don’t have the infrastructure nor the network to correctly repair electric vehicles. Yet, maintenance enables us to extend the life of the product and therefore to reduce its footprint per kilometer driven. It also reduces the need to produce new cars, which represents 85% of an electric car carbon footprint.
According to those considerations, Revolte aims to create a strong brand to enhance longevity of electric vehicles. The team is building electric garages, mechanics, an academy and an open data platform to create an ecosystem supporting the massive electrification of individual transport. They offer a post-guarantee offer and maintenance plan to electric vehicles’ owners, to make their EVs last longer. They also create an aftermarket brand of electric vehicle aiming at making old electric cars desirable.
Why is this project important ? What do we like about it?
Revolte proposes a powerful narrative around decarbonized mobility allowing to operate the switch of mentalities. Their BtoC approach, defining themselves as a movement, aims at profoundly changing the habits regarding car use.
Revolte is tackling a neglected part of the car electrification value chain: ensuring the maintenance and longevity of vehicles. By doing so, they reduce one of the main “rebound effects” of electrification: the increasing demand for new vehicles. New vehicles mean more raw materials extracted, more production and more energy consumption.
Finally, their business model is also aligned with their impact ambition as they encourage the consumers to take an extended warranty (“as-a-Service” model) rather than having them pay when there is an issue. With this model, they are economically incentivized to make the vehicles last longer with as few technical problems as possible.
What are your main concerns ? In your opinion, which external negativities are keys to control for this project ?
When technologically feasible, electrification is often an efficient solution to decrease GHG emissions, but it is not one without impact.
First of all, depending on the country’s electric mix (which energy is used for the electricity) the electricity production can be carbon intensive (when coal or gas plants are used ex: India, Poland). So electrification is a particularly efficient lever of decarbonation in countries where the electricity is low carbon (nuclear, hydro, sun and wind). So for us, it is really important that Revolte targets first countries with a low carbon electricity (France is a good starting point) and that they are transparent on the energetical mix in the lifecycle analysis of each electric vehicle.
Secondly, electrification needs equipment (infrastructures, lines, batteries…) which are greedy in non renewable resources such as metals, Lithium. Moreover the extraction and production of such materials requires energy intensive and polluting processes. Today, certain battery cells are only available from carbon-intensive suppliers (e.g. in China). It is important that Revolte is clear about switching to more ecologically-responsible suppliers as soon as possible.
Socially speaking, there is also a risk concerning the industry transition. Traditional mechanics could be impacted as their activity is likely to decrease with the switch to electric and the need for new skills. Revolte could propose its academy towards this kind of public.
Any follow-up questions? Want to talk directly to the founders?
Please, join their dedicated Discord channel: https://discord.gg/CwsAfub9Gk
About Cardashift
Cardashift enables citizens-investors to build the world of tomorrow.
Our first product is a community-run launchpad that raises funds, builds and accelerates startups that are solving social and environmental issues. Cardashift is based on Cardano, the blockchain platform for change-makers, innovators, and visionaries.
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