Electrogenic has launched a “drop-in” kit to convert Land Rover Defenders to fully electric power.
The conversion kit is aimed at the agricultural sector and landowners and has been developed and tested over the past 18 months on Worthy Farm, the site of the Glastonbury Festival.
The kit is designed to be installed by a qualified mechanic and to be maintenance-free. An electric motor is simply bolted to the Defender’s existing clutch bell hosing, meaning that the off-roaders can keep their existing gears — including low-range boxes.
The motor has 120 horsepower and 235 Nm of torque, which Electrogenic says is comparable to the original diesel engine. 52 kWh of batteries are mounted underneath the bonnet to give more than 100 miles of range when on-road but “considerably” more when driving off-road.
As standard, the kit is equipped for 7.5kW AC overnight charging via a Type 2 connector. Faster charging can be specified as an optional extra.
“This new electric conversion kit is a really exciting development for us,” says Steve Drummond, Electrogenic’s co-founder.
“We do high-specification conversions for road warriors, but this kit is all about giving landowners an economic, sustainable option. It’s easy to install and uses Electrogenic’s proprietary technology. It gives Land Rover Defenders – long a trusty workhorse for farms up and down the country – an affordable new lease of life, reducing running costs while enhancing performance and driveability around the estate. After an extensive development programme, in partnership with automotive experts at Cardiff University, we also know that it future-proofs the traditional Defender, readying it for decades of reliable, sustainable service as we enter the age of low-carbon agriculture.”
Thanks to the instant torque provided by the electric motor, Electrogenic says the converted Defenders are significantly easier to drive off-road than their ICE counterparts. Towing capability should also be improved while dual-stage regenerative braking enables “ultra-controlled, brake-free off-road-descents.”
The kits have a target price of £24,000 plus VAT but Electrogenic believes that owners will save “at least” £6,000 per year if used on a farm, allowing the kit to pay for itself in four years.
The electric powertrain is also designed to be “entirely maintenance-free” for “decades” while the batteries should be good for 200,000 miles.
Electrogenic, however, offers a wide-ranging of electric conversions ranging from Land Rover Defenders to far more exclusive cars, such as the Porsche 356.
