Land Rover Defender electrified

The original Land Rover Defender has gone electric.

UK company Everrati Automotive has released a new EV powertrain designed to be retrofitted to the British off-road icon, while purportedly retaining its core DNA.

The release of the EV drivetrain comes as Land Rover prepares to offer a hydrogen fuel-cell production version of the new Defender under an all-encompassing zero-emissions known as Project Zeus.

We’ve contacted Everrati for comment on whether there are plans to offer the retrofit EV drivetrain Down Under.

Headed up by a team of specialists led by automotive designer Maurice Wilks, the Land Rover Series IIA made its debut at the Concours of Elegance last weekend as part of the Bridge of Weir enclosure at Hampton Court Palace.

The centrepiece is a 110kW/300Nm electric motor that feeds power from a 60kWh battery pack to drive all four wheels.

Regenerative braking, advanced power management and cooling systems all conspire to truly modernise the Defender’s internals.

The Oxfordshire-based Everrati team first started with a meticulously sourced Land Rover Defender Series IIA body and chassis bearing both strong condition and originality. The team then went about pulling apart and completely rebuilding the vehicle with an advanced electric powertrain.

“With the unveiling of an electric version of the legendary Land Rover Series IIA, we are continuing to deliver on Everrati’s mission, which is to craft cutting-edge, capable, highly desirable and sustainable cars, each with the soul of an icon,” said Justin Lunny, founder and chief executive of Everrati Automotive Limited.

“To do so requires unparalleled attention to detail and technical proficiency, with one eye on ensuring our iconic cars meet 21st century demands, and the other on safeguarding a vehicle’s original character and DNA – both dynamically and aesthetically.”

Engineers purportedly introduced the electric powertrain while maintaining the Defender’s legendary structural integrity and robust premise, removing each component including bodywork, powertrain and interior parts from the donor, galvanising the chassis and bulkhead as well as applying a protective zinc for corrosion.

Everrati says it is possible to apply the same kit to modern canvas or traditional canvas soft-top formats, as well as the safari hard-top format.

“Coupled with a true zero-emission range of up to 125 miles (201km), the electric Series IIA offers both two- and four-wheel drive modes, as well as high/low ranges for optimised traction and dynamic ability dependent on the driving environment, ensuring the car’s original access-all-areas capacity endures,” the company said.

“Power steering and braking allow for a more accessible driving experience, whilst preserving and updating the feel of the Series IIA’s original controls.”

The Everrati package is complete with new wheels shod with Michelin rubber, and a reworked interior comprising heated front seats trimmed in ‘sustainable’ automotive leather, reupholstered rear seats plus an additional central cubby box for added storage capacity.

The UK company has also offered similar electric conversion kits for the Porsche 911 964 and Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda.