Land Rover's First Electric Defender Begins Real-World Trials At Eden Project

Land Rover's First Electric Defender Begins Real-World Trials At Eden Project

Earlier this year, Land Rover announced it would be electrifying a Defender. Land Rover has the first working model of an Electric Defender is at work in its first real world tests at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England.

The electric 4x4 is a rolling lab for investigating electrification in a real-world environment.

The Defender 110 Pick Up badged All terrain Electric Research Vehicle tows a 12-tonne (13-ton) road train made up of four trailers carrying up to 60 passengers on a 6 % incline to and from the hexagonal-panelled domes of the Eden site.

The Electric Defender tows a 12-tonne (13-ton) road train made up of four trailers carrying up to 60 passengers on a 6 % incline

The vehicle has been designed to work throughout the day before being recharged overnight in 10 hours for the approximate cost of £2 (€2.30). The Defender 110, known as the “All Terrain Electric Research Vehicle,” has enough power to hit 70 mph (112 km/h) while retaining its status as a serious off-roader.

Defender can be recharged in ten hours  for the approximate cost of £2 (€2.30)

It has been engineered to test the latest sustainable technologies. Hill Descent Control is linked to a regenerative braking function, and up to 80% of the car’s kinetic energy can be recovered.  Initial figures from the Eden Project claim up to 30 kW is being fed back to the batteries through this regenerative braking method. It currently takes 10 hours to fully charge the vehicle's lithium-ion batteries, but the company claims it will be possible to get this down to four hours using "fast-charge" technology. Land Rover’s Terrain Response system has been adapted for electric drive, offering an 80 km range with a reserve of a further 20 km.

 Hill Descent Control is linked to a regenerative braking function, and up to 80% of the car’s kinetic energy can be recovered

Electric Defender has a reported range of 80 km with a reserve of a further 20 km

Electric Defender principal engineer Jeremy Greenwood says it’s ideal for the sensitive ecology of the Eden Project and Swill provide excellent data for future electric vehicles.

“The car has been modified so it now includes a second battery,” he says. “That will allow it to work a full day at the Eden Project, but also improves weight distribution and stability.”

Gus Grand, climate change lead at the Eden Project, says the project “proves electric vehicles can be every bit as tough as their fossil fuel counterparts, while being much quieter, cheaper to run and with zero emissions at the point of use.”

Under slower, off-road conditions, Land Rover reports their test subject can easily go eight hours playing about in the peaty bog on a single charge. Powering the plug-in Defender is a 70 kW (90 bhp), high-torque electric motor that powers all the wheels through Land Rover’s patented permanent four-wheel drive system.

"It will be a great talking point for our visitors and proves that electric vehicles can be every bit as tough and rugged as their fossil fuel counterparts, while being much quieter, cheaper to run and with zero emissions at the point of use," said Gus Grand, Climate Change Lead at the Eden Project.

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Write by: RC - Friday, August 9, 2013