Barnaby here at Electric Car Converts. If you have watched any of our videos, you will recognise the test chassis. It is the backbone of every electric Land Rover conversion we build. Before any kit goes near a customer’s Defender or Series truck, it gets assembled, tested, and signed off on this chassis. Every bolt, bracket, wire, pump, pipe, battery, and motor gets fitted here first.
This means the Series 3 outside, the TD5 Defender 90 over there and every kit we ship to the US, Canada, South Africa, Kazakhstan, or the Åland Islands starts its life right here. The system is intentionally simple, and that simplicity is exactly why installation is straightforward.
Tomorrow, we are filming a full installation with a couple of creators. The entire kit from this chassis will be going into that TD5 90. You will see how quick the process really is. We have designed the whole system so that if you have the tools to remove your engine and gearbox, you have the tools to install our EV kit.
Powering Up the System
The test is as authentic as it gets. One crocodile clip onto a 12V feed mimics the ignition key. Everything wakes up, clicks into life, and we can select drive or reverse and spin the propshaft right in front of you. It proves the entire loom, software, cooling and high voltage systems are functioning before it ever leaves the workshop.
Now let’s walk through the chassis from front to back.
Front End and Cooling Systems
This chassis is a brand-new galvanised Defender 90 frame designed for every variant from early Eighties models through to 2015. The bulkhead suits left or right-hand drive and has every mounting point we need. That flexibility means we can fully build and test a kit for a left-hand-drive TDI in Texas before it leaves the UK.
Up front sits an oversized radiator for the motor and a separate cooling loop for the battery. Electric motors and batteries do need cooling. When you push 200 amps through the pack on rapid charge, it needs to stay in check. Pumps, fans and the mini radiator keep everything stable so you can fast-charge properly without throttling.
All the coolant lines are plug-and-play. The customer only needs to join a couple of rubber sections. No fabrication. No guesswork.
Brake Vacuum, Air Con, and Power Steering
With no diesel engine, you lose vacuum for the servo. Our brake vacuum system bolts straight into original chassis holes and sorts the braking assistance. Again, plug-and-play.
Air con is the only optional extra. The compressor is a high-voltage 400v unit and far more efficient than anything belt-driven. It is already wired in and ready.
Power steering is also fully integrated. You will get the correct hydraulic lines for your steering box with the right threads. No need to hire a hydraulics specialist.
Wiring, Relays, and Safety
Everything is pinned, loomed, and finished. Customers never need to crimp high-voltage cables. Incorrect crimps cause fires. We do that work in-house, so you only plug in the final connectors.
Fuses, relays, and control modules sit neatly on the chassis. These manage water pumps, fans, compressor control and communication with the main control box.
Battery Packs and Charging
We chose Felton battery packs years ago and have not looked back. Their quality is far better than anything we could produce in-house. The standard pack is 55 kWh and gives around 150 miles in a Series truck. Defenders get slightly less due to weight and tyre size. If you want more, the 110 kWh twin-pack sits under the seats.
The system supports CCS rapid charging. Stop after 100 miles, plug in, grab a drink, and you are almost full again in 20 to 25 minutes. For AC charging, the onboard charger handles 7 kW and also provides DC/DC conversion for the 12v system.
A new feature is vehicle-to-load capability. You can plug into your charge port and power tools, appliances or even another EV. Handy on a farm or campsite.
Interior Controls and Motor
In the cabin area, the binnacle houses our gauges for speed, battery level, amps and temperature. The throttle pedal is built by us and talks directly to the Tesla motor.
Speaking of which, the motor is a refurbished Tesla Model 3 unit. We rebuild it in-house with new gear sets, bearings, differential, stub axles, coolant lines and loom. It is as close to new as you can get without Tesla actually selling new ones. If Tesla is reading this, call us.
This motor delivers around 280 to 300 horsepower. Zero to sixty in five to six seconds depending on the build. It transforms a Defender.
Our brackets and crossmembers hold the motor and battery safely. Over-engineered on purpose. These are Land Rovers, not lightweight track cars. Strength is king.
Controls, Charging Port and Handbrake
The centre console has everything you need. Drive, neutral, reverse, electric handbrake, eco mode, heating and air con. The 12v battery sits where the original one does and wakes up the high-voltage system.
The charging port fits neatly where the fuel filler once lived. Type 2 for the UK and Europe or Type 1 for North America. CCS for rapid charging. Perfect integration.
The electric handbrake uses a Willwood secondary caliper, a huge upgrade over the original Defender handbrake which is famously dreadful.
Rear Air Con Pack
Air con systems generate more heat than EV systems, so the condenser lives at the rear where the heat can escape without interfering with battery cooling. It will be plumbed in once installed in the actual vehicle.
Pricing and Shipping
This complete system, exactly as shown on the chassis, is £60,000. The long-range system with 110 kWh is £85,000. US pricing is on the website. You can also see our full conversion pricing page for a detailed guide on costs.
We ship worldwide. Air freight or sea freight. Kits can even be shipped on a chassis if yours needs replacing.
What’s Next
Tomorrow’s installation video will show this chassis becoming a running, driving TD5 Defender in a single day. It should be a good watch.
Thanks for reading, and I will see you in the next video.