Noil converts your Solex to electric for 499 €

Currently expanding its network throughout France, Noil is converting electric two-wheelers and the like to electric vehicles. Victor Breban, one of the three co-founders, explains to our readers the activities of a startup from Montreuil (3).

Effective the next day, a ministerial decree that serves as the regulatory framework for the electrical conversion of thermal imagers was published in the Official Journal on Friday, April 3, 2020. For two-, three- or four-wheeled vehicles of group L (mopeds, motorcycles with and without a sidecar, various quads, etc.) are registered for a period of more than 2 years, the state aid is 3 euros. Can Benefit: Individuals, Professionals and Communities. Retrofitting a petrol or diesel powered vehicle may not be available for most motorists for at least several years. It is about the approval of a kit that increases costs and must be carried out for each type of vehicle. On the other hand, retooling a two-wheeled bike with a high popularity rating is much more financially attractive.

A sincere commitment to modernization

« Since 2018, Clement Flo and Rafael Setbon and I have been thinking about transforming electric two-wheelers. We created Noil in May 2019. As a member of the AiRE [Editor's Note: Members of the Electrical Retrofit Industry], we have been involved in drafting the retrofit decree. Our industry is still a small world in which we all know each other well. ”, Launched by Victor Breban. First convertible model: the friendly Solex.

« We have developed conversion kits for models 3, 300 and 3. ”, comments our interlocutor. Why Solex? "To give a second life to this mythical vehicle of French industry!" The millions of copies that went through today are sadly being ignored because they are difficult to use due to technical issues or regulatory restrictions,” the co-founders explained at Noil’s launch.

Solex switches to electricity in 48 hours

It takes no more than 48 hours to convert Solex to electrical. At what price? From € 499 inclusive of taxes, the state premium is deducted, but the assembly is included. It's cheaper than buying a new e-bike.

The kit installed by Noil consists of a 440W motor powered by a 672Wh battery. ” The upgraded Solex has a cruising range of 30-34 km. Victor Breban speaking.

The work done by Noil is especially thoughtful. With the exception of a removable battery attached to the luggage rack and an inconspicuous throttle trigger on the steering wheel, nothing betrayed the transformation. ” The electric motor replaces the magnetic flywheel and the controller is hidden under the footrest. The original cable drive is retained, as well as the ability to pedal to help propel the Solex forward. »Details of the young filmmaker who was a law student.

Kits are already amortized

Noyle has also converted other models, such as Peugeot 103 mopeds (€899 or €30 per month). ” A budget of € 20 to € 000 is required to approve the kit. With the conversions already made and the 30 bookings that we will process from today to September next year, we can already assume that these costs have been covered. Revealed by Victor Breban. " Our client profiles are diverse, of which a significant proportion are 40-55 years old for Solex. Some of them are collectors and enthusiasts who may have more than 15 copies and who want to convert a few for regular use. Initial reviews are encouraging: everyone is happy He says.

Many ongoing projects

 « We will also be remodeling the Vespas as well scooter BMW C1 on which we have recorded a sufficient number of reservations. Undoubtedly, this will soon happen with the three-wheeled MP3 model from Piaggio. We received more than 3 requests for it. ', says Victor Breban.

Noil lists a few more tracks on its website: Motobécane Bleue, Motobécane 51, Piaggio Ciao and Yamaha X-Max mopeds. A fledgling company needs a minimum of reservations to produce conversion kits that are tailor-made for each model. And this is so that the approval process is profitable.

The market is potentially very large, with 1 million petrol scooters circulating in France that can be retrofitted. To motivate his owners, Noyle puts forward several arguments. Here are two of the most important: The electric scooter is “ Saving 200 kilograms of CO2 per year”; “The cost of using [Editor's note: fuel, maintenance, parking] is divided by 2 after electrification. .

A company that is expanding

« In addition to the three co-founders, Noil employs about ten people, 3 of whom work in the conversion workshop. Victor Breban speaking. " Distributed throughout France, about twenty partners are converting with our kits. He continues.

They are, for example, located in Cesson-Sevigne (35), Mérignac (33), Aires-sur-la-Lys (62), Marais-le-Port (51), Castres (81), Plombiere-le-Dijon. (21st), Montbenoit (25th), Lyon (69th), Pertuis (84th), Lamanon (13th) and Paris (14th arrondissement), etc.” We are also benefiting from a partnership with Feu Vert to expand national coverage. After training, qualified personnel will be able to carry out transformations on site. “, he clarifies. Nice development for a startup created by Paris & Co and car accelerator CarStudio from Mobivia. ” This step allowed us to get contacts and get synergy. ", He advances.

Circular economy

 Of the three co-founders, it is Clément Flo who promotes the circular economy section. Influenced by this ex" industrial buyer of large French luxury homes ”, Noil will recycle all parts resulting from the conversion.

For example, exhaust pipes and gas cylinders are resold on the secondary market, and liquids are collected for processing. More generally, through its modernization activities, the company is part of a civic approach, avoiding ” send a vehicle that is often still operational to a landfillT ". Users of converted two-wheelers will not have to worry about creating Low Emission Zones (ZFEs) for their daily driving.

eBike Generation and I would like to thank Victor Breban for his availability and presentation of Noil.