Land Rover Electric Conversions

Our Land Rover battery packs weigh 320kg (55kWh), this weight is always put under the bonnet, which is where the original car is designed to have weight (ie the front suspension is stiffer than the rear, as it used to hold the engine). Then our upgraded battery pack is put in the middle of the car, under the seats, this is another 320kg (55kWh). Then add around 100kg in other bits, such as the motor (~60kg), charging systems, cabling and control systems, which are usually spread around the car.

So, our kits, depending on battery pack size are between 400kg and 700kg in a Tesla powered Defender. 

Now compare this to the original engine, gearbox, full fuel tank, radiator, coolant, engine ancillaries etc and you will be surprised how similar the weights are. 

Overall, this means that the suspension and handling characteristics of the car are vastly unchanged. Some clients choose to upgrade their suspension when EV converting, but this is more so that it can keep up with the horsepower, rather than due to weight. 

As explained above, contrary to popular belief, electric converted classic cars and Land Rovers don’t weigh very much more than the original vehicle. As most converted cars may be heavier by just the equivalent of one passenger. 

Chassis strength wise, Land Rovers are built strong, they’re military vehicles after all so are easily up to the challenge. In fact, the chassis of each Land Rover model will have a laden weight limit, which is how much weight you are safely allowed to transport both in the vehicle, and on a trailer – the weight of our electric conversions to Land Rovers are nothing close to these numbers, which are usually a couple of tonnes!

In terms of structural integrity, all of our conversions are bolt-in. You only lose structural integrity of a ladder chassis if you cut, drill or weld to it, something that we will never do, both from an engineering perspective, but also from a licencing and scrutineering perspective. 

Power and torque in our Land Rover electric conversions comes down to the motor option used. We have three motor options, the 120hp Hyper9 motor, which is an American purpose built EV motor, the 280hp Tesla Model 3 rear motor and the 450hp Tesla Model S rear motor, or Rear Drive Unit as it’s sometimes called. 

We don’t advise using a Tesla motor in an older series vehicle (such as a Series 1 or 2a) because the power is too high, but in these cases the 120hp motor, which drives the original gearbox still has twice the power of the original motor, allowing the old Landy to accelerate reliably in modern, fast-moving traffic. 

In terms of the more modern Defenders, most of their diesel engines had around 120hp, so our lowest power option matches this, but remember, due to the power being available from 0rpm, rather than in a specific rev range, the power is much more noticeable than original. 

When we put Tesla motors into Defender or Range Rover Classic electric conversions, the additional power certainly is noticeable, launching these cars from 0-60 faster than a Porsche 911. Even with these high-powered systems we have never had problems with differentials or half shafts, it seems that Land Rover build these very strong originally! Remember though, if a differential was to break, it’s not an expensive or complicated part to upgrade. 

Our Hyper9 motor systems utilise the full original drivetrain and transmission of a Land Rover, put simply, we just turn the original input shaft of the gearbox. In these conversions the clutch, gear selector, flywheel etc are all still utilised, so you can change gear in an electric car (as strange as that may seem).

However, it’s not necessary to change gear, the torque, power and rpm characteristics of an electric motor allow it to run a Land Rover in 3rd gear, all the way from a standstill to 60mph. However, some clients enjoy changing gear, or when off-roading like to engage low ratio or when sitting on a motorway move into fourth/overdrive – it’s nice to have the option. 

That being said, in our Tesla motor systems, a single speed reduction gearbox is built into the motor itself. This is done originally by Tesla, but as we run the motors to the front and rear differentials, rather than to the two rear wheels, we have to change the gear ratios to allow for the incredible acceleration and speeds that we EV convert to this specification for.

Direct drive to the differentials with our Tesla motor electric conversion systems is certainly simpler, as you don’t have to rely on 50-year-old Land Rover drivetrains, but the motor comes at a higher cost. 

Depending on the electric conversion option, our battery packs weigh between 110kg (26.5kWh) and 320kg (55kWh), this weight is always put under the bonnet, which is where the original car is designed to have weight (ie the front suspension is stiffer than the rear, as it used to hold the engine). Then add around 100kg in other bits, such as the motor (~60kg), charging systems, cabling and control systems, which are usually spread around the car.

So, our kits are anywhere from 210kg for an old Series 2a to 400kg in a Tesla powered Defender. 

Now compare this to the original engine, gearbox, full fuel tank, radiator, coolant, engine ancillaries etc and you will be surprised how similar the weights are. 

Overall, this means that the suspension and handling characteristics of the car are vastly unchanged. Some clients choose to upgrade their suspension when EV converting, but this is more so that it can keep up with the horsepower, rather than due to weight. 

Regenerative braking (or “regen”) in electric vehicles is what makes the driving experience so comfortable. When you are not accelerating or coasting, the amount you lift off the throttle pedal corresponds to the amount of braking power (regen) that the motor puts out, meaning you very rarely use the brake pedal.

Regen braking is the most efficient way to drive the vehicle, because when a motor is in regen mode, it acts as a generator, which pushes significant power back into the battery pack, rather than wasting this energy on brakes. 

Regen braking levels can also be adjusted on a switch, so you can choose to turn it off on a motorway, or have it on the maximum when driving down a very steep hill (hill descent mode), although most people just leave it how we set it at an optimal level for everyday driving. 

Due to the fact that an electric Land Rover converted with us (Electric Car Converts) has such efficient regenerative braking, the original brakes and brake pedal are hardly used, so even when putting up to 450 horsepower into a car not known for its fantastic brakes, the brakes do not have to be upgraded. 

With safety in mind however, we do add an electronic brake assistance system, which is really only there for an emergency stop. This is done with either a brake vacuum pump, or a Tesla IBooster braking system

All of our conversions come as standard with 7kW charging, which is the standard in all OEM electric vehicles. These allow the cars to charge at public charging stations such as those on lamp posts, at the supermarket, or even on the chargers you can get installed at home (Pod Point for example).

These chargers put 7kW worth of power into the battery pack every hour, so a 28kWh battery pack would take four hours to charge, and a 55kWh battery pack eight hours.

All of our conversions can also charge from a domestic 3-pin socket, such as the one in your kitchen or garage. This is called granny charging (it’s slow!) but is how most of our clients charge their vehicles. This only puts 2-3kW of power into the battery pack every hour, meaning that a charge takes more like 8 hours, or overnight. Plug your car in like you plug your phone in! This means that you don’t have to invest in a fancy fast home charger, nor do you have to find one at your friends’ houses, simply plug into a normal plug, perhaps on an extension lead!

Remember though, that with the above two options it’s very rare that you will charge from 0%-100% each time, you’re usually only topping up 30-40% over a trip into town so charge times are much lower.

Finally, our top-end systems (Tesla Motor) allow for 70kW fast (or rapid) charging. This allows for a battery pack to go from 20% to 80% in around half an hour. This can only be done at special charging points (called DC or CCS), like those that can be found at motorway services, shopping malls, petrol stations or public services – you’ll be amazed how many of these are around.

These were made popular by the Tesla Supercharging Network. Fast charging means that you don’t have to worry about range, if you’re running low or on a long journey, simply plug in for 20 minutes whilst you get a coffee and you’ll be back in business! 

The only change that you can see from the outside of the car, when it has been converted to electric power, is the charge socket which is in the place of the original fuel filler.

So, to most people, or unless looking closely, an electric Land Rover will look exactly the same as it did originally. On the inside the only change is in the dials, as obviously the original dial systems no longer work, so these are upgraded to EV dials which show things like battery percentage, battery temperature, power draw/regen or speed.

It’s crucial to us that Land Rovers maintain their heritage, and still look and feel like they always did – but just drive a little better and more reliably! 

Yes we are able to program in multiple driving modes. It’s actually a very simple process as power and regen can be expressed as a percentage, so if the client wants an eco-mode, we will simply reduce the power sefngs on a switch, and if the client wants an off road mode, we will increase the torque and regen to max! However, most clients leave the driving mode in standard 99% of the time! 

Our electric conversions are entirely waterproof so safe against any water, dirt, mud or snow! We only use electric motors which are waterproof, so that part is easy, and battery packs are large square boxes, so we’re able to add rubber seals where necessary to keep them safe.

Our electric Land Rovers will never reduce what you can do off-road, after all, that is what the Land Rover was designed for – it’s also safety critical that all of our expensive components and high voltage systems are waterproofed! (No this does not mean you can drive it underwater!!) 

Electric vehicle safety in the case of an accident is of course hugely important as damaged battery packs can be a fire hazard (although very rare!). To address this there are a number of safety systems that are built into the electric conversion.

Firstly, the battery management system, or BMS can detect any anomalies in the battery pack, whether this be heat, damage or a malfunctioning cell. The BMS will then stop power being drawn from the battery pack, or put it into a fault state, which is essentially a limp home mode, to prevent any safety concerns to further damage to the system.

Secondly, our built-in accelerometers will detect any sudden deceleration (ie a crash) and automatically shut the car off, meaning that no high-voltage components will be activated, and the car will be safe.

Finally, there is a high voltage disconnect switch which means that if the above two processes fail, you can isolate the entire battery system meaning that there is no physical circuit for high voltage current to travel. This is not only useful in a crash, but also when working on the vehicle – as we know, Land Rover owners love to tinker with their cars! 

All electric car conversions built by Electric Car Converts come with a 2-year, 50,000 mile warrantee on all parts and components. This means that if any component fails, it will be immediately replaced by our team without cost. This is easy for us to offer because electric vehicles have so few moving parts, and essentially run off computer systems which very rarely go wrong.

Also, we only use the highest quality components, often sourced from the USA which have their own guarantees – so you’re in safe hands when it comes to the quality of our work. Battery pack lifespan is usually measured in charge cycles, so how many 1mes a battery can be charged and then discharged before it starts losing efficiency.

Generally, this number is about 1500 charge cycles, and considering our average conversion does about 100 miles on a charge, the battery pack lifespan is around 150,000 miles, or much longer than a combus1on engine!

Also, remember that they don’t need servicing, so maintenance costs are significantly lower than a petrol or diesel engine.

Furthering this, our battery packs are made out of OEM battery modules, for example, we use the exact batteries that would otherwise be found in Volkswagens EV range, or in a Tesla – both top-of-the-line electric vehicles, and therefore battery manufacturers. 

We’re very strict that we do not touch the original wiring loom of the car, so all 12-volt systems stay exactly as original – this is things such as headlights, wipers, stereo systems etc.

Obviously without an engine, there is no alternator, so the 12-volt battery would eventually go flat. This is where a DCDC converter comes in. This changes our high voltage system (at 120-400 volts) to 14 volts, which is what charges and maintains the original onboard 12-volt circuits.

This also means that if your brake lights go wrong for example, you can take it to any Land Rover mechanic to fix, as it is nothing to do with the high voltage or traction battery pack.

In terms of the high voltage system, the only thing it needs from the original car is a constant 12-volt source, a chassis ground and an ignition switch, so it knows when you’re turning the key on! 

All of our battery packs have a built-in cooling system which consists of a very small radiator, water pump and header tank, but this is more to keep the batteries at equilibrium, rather than cool them down, as the batteries don’t really go above 30 degrees.

The system is also smart enough to detect if it is overheating and reduce the power output until it cools down again, if that were to happen. Motors don’t get very hot, but the power inverters which run them do as they’re dealing with very high voltages and hundreds of amps.

Due to this, the inverters have their own cooling system, which runs off a second small radiator and a high-flow water pump which transfers heat away from the motor. This cooling system is very efficient so electric motors very rarely get hot – in fact even after sitting at motorway speeds you are able to put your hand on an electric motor without burning yourself, something you could never do with a petrol or diesel engine!

Finally, EV motors and the motors we use in our electric car conversions are up to 95% efficient, which means that very little energy is converted into heat, so they only need tiny cooling systems to stay at an optimal temperature.