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Brazilian retrofit project transforms a Fiat Fiorino into an electric utility vehicle, with the combustion engine removed, kit developed by Stellantis, SENAI, WEG, and FuelTech, and batteries installed in the cargo compartment for urban tests of daily professional use in Brazil.
A Fiat Fiorino, one of the most well-known utility vehicles on Brazilian streets, has entered an electric conversion project that removes the combustion engine, installs a new electric powertrain, and places the battery pack in the cargo compartment.
Aimed at urban use, the proposal transforms a van originally fueled by gasoline into an electric vehicle designed for professionals who drive daily in cities, especially in delivery routines, service, and short to medium-distance commercial commutes.
The conversion is part of an electric retrofit project developed by Stellantis in partnership with the SENAI A3 program of Route 2030, in addition to the companies WEG and FuelTech, which participate in the technical application in the vehicle.
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According to Stellantis, the initiative involves new and used light commercial vehicles and seeks to create a zero-emission mobility solution, maintaining safety, durability, and homologation criteria for an adaptation closer to industrial standards.
Electric Fiat Fiorino targets urban use and daily work
What immediately stands out is the type of car chosen for the conversion, as the Fiorino is not a prototype far from Brazilian reality nor a luxury model sold in low volumes.
Present for years in the daily life of cities, the utility vehicle is a popular van among delivery drivers, small business owners, service providers, and fleet operators, being used as a work tool in urban operations of various sizes.
In practice, the project removes the original combustion mechanical set and installs an electric conversion kit, changing the vehicle’s propulsion method without turning the Fiorino into a product completely distant from its original function.
To accommodate the new system, the battery pack is housed in the cargo compartment, a choice that helps avoid deeper structural changes and keeps the cargo box as a central part of the van’s configuration.
The idea is to preserve the vehicle’s main function, which is to transport goods, while the propulsion becomes electric and the set begins to be evaluated within a logic of urban professional use.
Also included in the development, the Peugeot Partner Rapid appears alongside the Fiorino as another light utility vehicle used to enable technical and economic evaluation of the retrofit in real conditions, with local components and application aimed at daily work.
Electric conversion will have tests on public roads
On public roads, the tests planned by Stellantis should identify technical and economic factors of the system, allowing observation of how the converted vehicles behave outside the controlled development environment and within urban routine.
Data collection will be used to better understand the functioning of the set and adjust vehicle parameters whenever necessary, especially in an application marked by starts, frequent stops, and low-speed circulation.
The declared target of the project is professionals with a daily average use of 100 kilometers, a number compatible with urban deliveries, small commercial displacements, and operations on predictable routes within cities.
In this type of use, route predictability can facilitate charging, autonomy control, and operation organization, especially for companies that use compact vans in repeated displacements throughout the week.
The involvement of WEG and FuelTech gives technical weight to the project, as it places alongside Stellantis two companies known for operating in areas related to energy, electronics, and systems applied to the automotive sector.
While WEG has a presence in electronic equipment and energy solutions, FuelTech operates in the automotive market with electronic control systems, composing with SENAI a technical base for the electrification of light commercial vehicles.
Fiorino retrofit is not just an engine swap
Placing an electric motor in place of the old engine is just part of the operation, as the removal of the combustion powertrain requires adaptation of the vehicle to receive new components and management systems.
In addition to the motor, the conversion includes batteries, electronic controls, and solutions capable of delivering adequate performance in urban use, focusing on an experience compatible with the routine of a light commercial vehicle.
The goal stated by the manufacturer is to ensure conversion quality with a standard similar to that of original factory equipment, reducing the gap between an experimental retrofit and an application developed with more rigorous technical criteria.
This difference separates the Fiorino retrofit from purely homemade experiences, although the visual result arouses the same curiosity of seeing a common car turn electric without losing its familiar appearance.
Behind the transformation, the initiative works with industrial criteria, technical partners, and concern for homologation, keeping the van as a work vehicle even after the combustion-powered set is removed.
The choice to place the batteries in the cargo compartment also reveals a practical decision, as deep structural changes could make the project more expensive, complex, and distant from the vehicle’s intended use.
In a car intended for businesses and professionals, this balance between electric transformation and maintaining the original function becomes important, as the van needs to remain useful for transporting goods and meeting urban demands.
Project connects to Stellantis’ circular economy
Within Stellantis’ decarbonization strategy, the project is linked to circular economy initiatives and extending the lifespan of vehicles and parts, broadening the debate on electrification beyond new models.
In the case of the Fiorino, the electric conversion explores precisely this idea by utilizing an already known commercial vehicle, removing the combustion system, and giving the set a new application within urban mobility.
This proposal also addresses a common question among Brazilian drivers, which is the possibility of electrifying existing vehicles instead of relying solely on purchasing a new electric car.
For fleets and companies, the retrofit raises discussions about cost, maintenance, daily operation, and access to lower emission solutions, especially in commercial models that tend to remain in operation for many years.
The symbolic strength of the Fiorino increases the project’s appeal, because the model has been part of the national urban scene for decades and is associated with deliveries, workshops, neighborhood businesses, and small companies.
Seeing such a common vehicle receive an electric motor creates a strong contrast between traditional mechanics and the electrification advancing in the automotive sector, bringing the technology closer to a familiar car for the Brazilian public.
SENAI participates in the development of the electric Fiorino
Stellantis also relates the project to SUSTAINera, a unit focused on circular economy, remanufactured parts, and lower-cost maintenance solutions, within a vision of reuse and extended lifespan.
In this logic, the electric conversion emerges as a way to create a new usage stage for already known models, reducing the dependence on early disposal and expanding possibilities for commercial vehicles in operation.
Another relevant element is the role of SENAI, which participates in the development through the SENAI A3 program of Rota 2030, an industrial policy linked to innovation in the Brazilian automotive sector.
The presence of the institution indicates that the project is not limited to assembling the car, but involves developing technical skills related to electrification, embedded systems, and sustainable mobility applied to light commercial vehicles.
For the Brazilian public, the electric Fiorino draws attention because it brings electrification closer to a vehicle seen every day on the streets, instead of restricting the theme to imported sedans or high-priced SUVs.
The conversion still depends on tests, data collection, and technical evaluation to define its practical application on a large scale, especially in sectors that depend on robust, well-known, and relatively simple-to-operate commercial vehicles.
The result is a Fiorino with a familiar appearance, but with a different operating logic, as the combustion engine is phased out, the electric powertrain takes over the movement, and the batteries occupy the trunk.
Assessed to run up to 100 kilometers per day in an urban environment, the van now represents an alternative path for the electrification of work vehicles, without relying exclusively on the immediate replacement by new models.
If a utility vehicle as common as the Fiorino can be converted to work as an electric vehicle in cities, which other famous cars in Brazil could also gain a second life without a combustion engine?
