Retrofleet

What Retrofleet does

Retrofleet is a French industrial company, founded in 2020 in Chambéry (Savoie) by Emmanuel Flahaut (CEO) and Cédric Michels (CTO), that converts diesel heavy-duty vehicles — primarily buses and coaches (notably the IVECO Crossway Tector/Cursor and Mercedes Intouro platforms) and light commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes — into electric propulsion. Each conversion replaces the original thermal powertrain with a Retrofleet-designed LFP battery pack (192 kWh, designed for 10-15 years of service, 95% recyclable, repurposable for second-life stationary applications), an electric motor (145-300 kW depending on platform), and proprietary electronic management systems. The company achieved Europe's first type approval for electric retrofit of a heavy vehicle in 2023 and operates a four-step homologation process that subjects converted vehicles to the same standards as new OEM vehicles.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales of conversion kits (€190,000-200,000 per vehicle) and charging infrastructure (~€3,000 per AC station, >€25,000 per DC station) with recurring revenue from the MONAtoring cloud-based telemetry platform and engineering services. Conversion is performed at Retrofleet's Lons-le-Saunier facility or through authorized partner sites operated by BESSET (Lyon, Paris, Nantes) and Bacqueyrisses (Bordeaux), with final delivery in 2-3 weeks per vehicle. The go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging industry trade shows (BUSWORLD, RNTP), direct outreach to transport operators, public authorities, and school transport operators, and the UGAP public procurement framework. Since April 2024, CBM (Car et Bus Maintenance) — the global leader in bus and coach spare parts — has held a majority stake, providing access to global distribution and enabling 2025 expansion into Italy via the VAR subsidiary and the Autolinee Toscane 30-bus contract.

Customers are public transport operators, municipal authorities, and school transport providers across France and Italy, with named engagements including Keolis (14 charging stations at Saint-Étienne), Transdev, Ardelia (3 retrofitted coaches via UGAP), Autolinee Toscane (30 buses), and RATP Dev Toscane. The company holds Origine France Garantie certification (Bureau Veritas, 2024) and operates MONA Energy as a wholly-owned subsidiary for charging infrastructure. Reported outcomes include an 87% reduction in CO2 emissions versus diesel and 37% versus purchasing a new electric vehicle, 80% reduction in annual charging operating costs, and a 30-day delivery time per vehicle in Italy versus 18 months for a new electric bus.

Name

Retrofleet

Legal name

RETROFLEET

Website

https://retrofleet.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Retrofleet is a French company (founded 2020, Chambéry) that converts diesel buses, coaches, and light commercial vehicles into electric propulsion using proprietary LFP battery packs and motors, selling conversion kits, charging infrastructure, and cloud telemetry to public transport operators, school transport authorities, and logistics fleets across France and Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sainte-hélène-du-lac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric Retrofit Conversion Kits: Sale of complete electric conversion kits for heavy-duty vehicles (buses, coaches, light commercial vehicles). Kits include electric motor, LFP battery pack (192 kWh), and electronic management systems. Conversion performed at partner sites (BESSET, Bacqueyrisses) or at client site within 2–3 weeks.
2. Charging Infrastructure (MONA Energy): Sale and installation of charging solutions (AC 22 kW and DC 120 kW), including site assessment, infrastructure sizing, installation, and maintenance. Average AC installation ~3,000€, DC installation >25,000€.
3. Remote Telemetry Supervision: Real-time cloud-based monitoring and diagnostics services for converted fleets and charging infrastructure, enabling predictive maintenance and uptime optimization.
4. Engineering Services: Engineering services covering concept design, prototyping, industrialization, and production preparation for retrofit solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Retrofleet manufactures and sells electric retrofit conversion kits that replace diesel powertrains in heavy-duty vehicles (buses, coaches, and light commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes) with electric motors, LFP battery packs (192 kWh), and proprietary electronic management systems. Through its MONA Energy subsidiary, it also provides AC/DC charging infrastructure, and offers cloud-based remote fleet supervision services. Kits are homologated for series production under the 2020 French Retrofit Decree, with installation performed at authorized partner sites in 2–3 weeks.

Product overview

RETROFLEET offers an industrial electric retrofit platform for professional heavy-vehicle fleets, comprising four core product lines: (1) the Electric Retrofit Conversion Kit — the company's primary offering, converting diesel buses and coaches to electric via LFP batteries and electric motors, homologated under French and European retrofit regulations; (2) MONA Energy — a sub-brand providing charging infrastructure (AC 22 kW and DC 120 kW stations) and associated installation and maintenance; (3) MONAtoring — a cloud-based fleet supervision platform for real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and performance reporting of converted vehicles and charging infrastructure; and (4) the Telemetry System — an embedded onboard module that feeds live vehicle data (battery state, energy consumption, charge cycles) to the MONAtoring platform for proactive maintenance and energy management. The company operates as a constructor and series-production retrofit manufacturer, producing battery packs and conversion kits at its French facility, then shipping kits to partner installation sites (BESSET in Lyon, Paris, Nantes; Bacqueyrisses in Bordeaux; and an internal site in Lons le Saunier) for vehicle conversion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MONA Energy: Charging solutions and infrastructure for electric vehicle fleets, including AC 22kW and DC 120kW charging stations, with MONAtoring supervision service.
• MONAtoring

Products and services

• Electric Retrofit Kit for Buses & Coaches Core conversion kit that replaces diesel powertrains in heavy vehicles (buses, coaches, light commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes) with electric motors (MD 145–245 kW, BMC 300 kW peak), 192 kWh LFP battery packs, and proprietary electronic management systems. Homologated for series production under the 2020 French Retrofit Decree. For public transport operators, school transport companies, and freight fleet operators.
• MONA Energy Charging Infrastructure Charging infrastructure solutions for electrified professional fleets, including AC 22 kW charging stations (~4–5 hours for 50–100% charge, ~€3,000 per installation) and DC 120 kW fast charging stations (30–45 minutes for 50–100% charge, >€25,000 per installation). Includes site assessment, infrastructure sizing, installation, and maintenance. Deployed for fleet operators including Keolis.
• Engineering & Conversion Services Engineering services covering concept design, prototyping, industrialization, and production preparation for electric retrofit solutions, including vehicle conversion installation at partner sites (BESSET, Bacqueyrisses, VAR). Includes the four-step homologation process aligned with new vehicle manufacturer standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO₂ reduction of 87% compared to diesel vehicles
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• RATP Dev ToscaneflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 May 2025RATP Dev Toscane signed a revolutionary agreement with VAR (CBM Italia) and Retrofleet on May 8, 2025, placing Italy at the forefront of European mobility. This partnership converts Tuscan bus lines using Retrofleet's retrofit technology, compliant with European ecological transition, decarbonation, and circular economy rules.
• CBM (Car et Bus Maintenance)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024CBM, based in Le Mans and the global leader in bus and coach spare parts, acquired Retrofleet as majority shareholder in April 2024. This strategic acquisition provides Retrofleet access to CBM's global spare parts network, bodywork and renovation capabilities via subsidiary BESSET (Lyon, Paris, Nantes), and an established international distribution network. Vincent Couvreur (CBM) is credited for the partnership.
• VAR (CBM Italia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024VAR, the Italian subsidiary of CBM Group (acquired March 2024), is the first Italian retrofit conversion operator. Based in Grugliasco near Turin, VAR launched Italy's first thermal-to-electric bus conversion project with an order of 30 Crossway buses for Autolinee Toscane. Led by Andrea Chiocchetti and Anthony Guerin.
• EDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDF is referenced as a strategic partner for accelerating energy transition, mentioned in the context of BUSWORLD 2025 participation as part of Retrofleet's partnerships showcasing concrete achievements in fleet decarbonation.
• BESSET (CBM Group)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSister company within CBM Group, BESSET operates authorized vehicle conversion installation sites in Lyon, Paris, and Nantes. Retrofleet supplies kits while BESSET performs physical installation and bodywork.
• Bacqueyrisses GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner installation site for vehicle retrofit conversions located in Bordeaux, enabling geographic coverage of southwestern France.
• ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique)minorOthersADEME funded the IREVE battery second-life demonstrator project located at Retrofleet's Chambéry site, exploring stationary applications for retired LFP batteries from mobility use.
• ANATEEPminorOthersANATEEP (National Association of School Transport and Excursions) published an interview with CEO Emmanuel Flahaut in January 2026 on electric retrofit of school coaches, highlighting safety, decarbonation, and circular economy benefits.
• MONA EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationMONA Energy is a Retrofleet subsidiary providing charging infrastructure solutions (AC/DC charging stations, site assessment, installation, MONAtoring supervision) as an integrated part of the complete fleet electrification offering.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Bluebus (Bolloré): French manufacturer of 6m and 12m battery-electric buses using Bolloré's LMP (lithium-metal-polymer) battery technology. Direct French market competitor to Retrofleet, particularly for urban public transport operators, but focuses on new vehicle sales rather than retrofit of existing fleets.
• Ebusco: Dutch manufacturer of zero-emission buses (full-electric and hydrogen) with growing European footprint. Competes directly with Retrofleet for European public transport fleet electrification contracts but through new-bus OEM model rather than retrofit. Comparable scale and growth-stage profile.
• Forsee Power: French battery systems manufacturer specializing in LFP and NMC packs for electric buses, trucks, and industrial vehicles. Closely adjacent ecosystem participant — Forsee Power supplies battery technology that competes with or could complement Retrofleet's in-house LFP battery packs. Both target the same European bus and truck electrification market.

Regional players

• Wrightbus: UK-based manufacturer of zero-emission buses (StreetDeck, New Routemaster) primarily serving the UK and Ireland markets. Comparable electric bus product offering but with a different geographic footprint from Retrofleet's France/Italy focus. Useful benchmark on European zero-emission bus pricing and public sector procurement dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Daimler Truck AG / EvoBus: Manufacturer of the Mercedes-Benz Intouro and Citaro (including the battery-electric eCitaro). Retrofleet is currently homologating the Intouro for retrofit, making Daimler both a chassis supplier and a competing new-EV-bus OEM. Their OEM scale and dealer network set the benchmark Retrofleet must meet on TCO and warranty.
• Volvo Buses: Swedish manufacturer of electric and hybrid buses (e.g., Volvo 7900 Electric) with strong European public transit market share. Competes for the same fleet electrification budgets as Retrofleet through new-vehicle sales, and its installed European bus parc represents a future retrofit target platform for Retrofleet homologation.
• Solaris Bus & Coach: Polish manufacturer of urban and intercity buses with one of Europe's largest installed bases of battery-electric buses (Urbino family). Competes with Retrofleet for the same public transport operator budgets, but via new-vehicle sales rather than conversion; represents the alternative decarbonization pathway Retrofleet must position against.
• BYD Auto: Chinese manufacturer of battery-electric buses now distributed widely across Europe. Aggressive pricing on new electric buses is the primary competitive threat to Retrofleet's value proposition (€190-200K retrofit vs. declining new-bus prices) and shapes the strategic argument for retrofit economics.
• IVECO Bus: Italian manufacturer of buses and coaches including the Crossway platform that Retrofleet retrofits and the e-Way full-electric urban bus. Functions as both Retrofleet's primary chassis partner (50+ Crossway units in circulation) and a competing new-electric-bus OEM targeting the same public transport customers.

Direct peers

• Quantron AG: German-based specialist in converting diesel trucks and buses to zero-emission electric and hydrogen powertrains. Closest direct peer to Retrofleet: same retrofit-for-heavy-vehicles model, same European customer base of fleet operators, same challenge of homologation across multiple OEM chassis platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkiKy4EyucMAd5cHn3OYHQw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retrofleet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Retrofleet