 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Pondering an electric conversion. Advice welcome |
 
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| PCM Member Since: 25 Jan 2019 Location: North East Posts: 874  
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I'm seriously thinking of buying a defender and over the course of the summer seeing if i can get it working as an EV.
There are various companies that do such a thing but I quite like the idea of trying to do it with quality bits myself and my local indie. Base model will be a TD5 pre 2000 on a decent galv chassis. May well replace the rusty bits like suspension etc.. but that's the easy part. Main thing is getting it to run. I have sourced all the bits to make the system run on its own as a kind of crate engine. So i think i'm brave enough (Or stupid enough) to give it a go. I'm sure I can find or have made an adapter to interface directly with the transfer box. But i'm a bit stumped on the defender electrical side of things. To get me started if you remove the engine and ECU, what won't work? I can get the speed and temperature gauge working via an aftermarket loom. I'm talking to the battery manufacturer to see if they can give me on their system controller a way to work out range. I can get a new tunnel made to negate the gear stick. I'm assuming i have to do something with the ignition. Also power steering, engine lights. engine cooling (maybe) But i'm assuming all the things like indicators, lights, immobiliser etc.. will still work, I believe the td5 gagues are all analogue. Can anyone tell me what they need? Any other big things i'm totally overlooking that may make this a pie in the sky idea? Cheers PCM |
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14th May 2022 2:29pm |
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| katana069 Member Since: 28 Mar 2022 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 44
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Following
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14th May 2022 2:49pm |
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| PCM Member Since: 25 Jan 2019 Location: North East Posts: 874
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I wouldn’t follow just yet…
I’ve not really much of a clue what I’m doing with the interface tbh… First thing is identifying the problems then working out solutions. Given myself 4 months. Have already sourced and accepted the cost of the battery and motor. It’s the little things that will be the fun puzzles.  |
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14th May 2022 2:53pm |
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| katana069 Member Since: 28 Mar 2022 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 44
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My ipace has a 12v battery to run all the cabin bits and lights etc. I assume this is charged using a step-down inverter from the main ev battery. So you should be able to leave most bits alone? Where are you getting the ev bits, motor, battery etc from? |
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14th May 2022 4:25pm |
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| PCM Member Since: 25 Jan 2019 Location: North East Posts: 874
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Anyone interested in proper defender EV conversions should check out Jaunt EV videos on youtube. They do some amazing stuff but it'd probably be a lot more than my mortgage to buy.
I'm therefore looking at more of a KISS route. Keep as much of the original car and then just change the bits required. I've not the time or the resources to do the complicated integration of the actual drive train. fact.
I'm therefore currently speaking to the guys at EV source for a kit suitable for the Defender https://evsource.com/products/27-kwh-standard-performance-ev-kit  UK legislation is a pain too as you can only convert older models and get them to be change fuel type to electric. Therefore no pumas. Just the tdi's or an early td5. But this will make it easier as there is less "things" I'm trying to do the conversion "and" buy the car for the same price it would be to convert my puma to an LS. That's the challenge anyway. So the reason for the forum hit up is what "things" will i need to think about to get the "Kit" to work. Kit includes power steering pump but there must be a ton more bits that it's missing. It has been estimated to take DIY'ers an estimated 200 hours to complete so if i give myself 4 months then i should realistically have a fighting change.  |
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14th May 2022 5:23pm |
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| Race.it Member Since: 27 Aug 2019 Location: Algeciras Posts: 815  
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Checkout jerry rig everything on t he you tube, he has converted a humvee to Tesla power, and done a good job of detailing and explaining what’s been done, may help you Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing.
5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details |
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14th May 2022 7:46pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3748
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Hello
Not on a Defender yet.... but my mate and I are installing a Hyper 9 / Tesla Batteries into a 69 Beetle.. We are learning on the way, using my 3d printer to test parts, Sourcing the parts is challenging unless you use the companies that provide the package as a kit.. Luckily my mate is an electrician so the wiring side we are ok. Still waiting on the BMS (Battery monitoring system) to come so we can plumb this in. Tesla Batteries (3 in back and 2 in front are in with the Zero EV cards). Lots done and its starting to look right. We may well move onto a Landy... once we get this running and tested, Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge As mentioned if you watch any of Jaunts Videos on the Landrovers they convert they are superb  |
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14th May 2022 8:15pm |
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| roel Member Since: 08 Aug 2009 Location: Lelystad Posts: 2039  
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This is interesting. I would like to make my 90 EV too but the costs is stopping me on the moment.
You might have to look at that battery size. 27 kWh is in my eyes way to small. I have a Tesla Model X with a 100 kWh battery. OK it is about 5 years old and drove 120 k km. I think I lost about 9% capacity. At 100% charge I should be able to drive just over 400 km but you will never use 100% of you battery, it is not good to charge to 100% and leave it there for a while and you will never drive it 100% empty so if you use 80% of your available capacity you are doing good. 70% will be a better number. That means for my MX that I can drive 300 km comfortable, This way I don't have to worry about road works etc. 27 kWh is just over a 25% of that so the range would be 75 km if the Land Rover would have the same shape as the MX en not like a garden shed. The problems are that batteries are expensive and heavy but a bigger battery gives your more range and if you can DC charge, more charging speed. Roel 1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001) 1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009) 2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts. 2003 90 Td5 (2009-now) |
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14th May 2022 8:27pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3748
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Your correct,
In a Landy if you want more range (well in anything really) you need more batteries. Depends what you want. In the beetle we are doing and potentially a series, 100 to 150 miles would be fine for what we use them for. Also in a Landy you will have a lot more space, Front, side tanks (in a series) and also a false floor if in the boot of a hard top. All depends how you want to use the car. |
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14th May 2022 8:40pm |
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| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2147 
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Ultimately can you get it reclassified correctly as an EV as if not and your still subject to the various LEZ, etc then personally can't see the point??
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14th May 2022 8:40pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3748
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Unsure on this,
However I do know if I have a car with a range of 100 / 150 miles charging up in the my garage for 'free' using extra solar energy then nipping to the shops, school drop off and local runs are all free.. I'm happy with that. On the cars we are doing it too they are tax free also so all good |
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14th May 2022 8:49pm |
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| PCM Member Since: 25 Jan 2019 Location: North East Posts: 874
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Have done in depth checks in the legality and as long as it’s registered pre 1st March 2001 then it’s fine.
After that it’s complicated. 👍 although DVLA are rumoured to be looking at a rule change for later models I wouldn’t attempt it at this stage on any post 2001 model. Basically anything taxed according to emissions. Getting back to the subject in hand. If I strip the engine out. What still works? What problems need solving? |
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14th May 2022 9:29pm |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1400 
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Heater.
Windscreen demister. Air conditioning, if fitted. Brake servo. Power steering. Edit, so without an engine it won't go, won't stop, won't steer, you'd be frozen in the winter and unable to see out of the windows. Keep an auxiliary ICE engine to fix the above problems and use it as a 'range extender' for when the batteries are flat...  |
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14th May 2022 9:57pm |
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| roel Member Since: 08 Aug 2009 Location: Lelystad Posts: 2039
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Try to find a none ABS Landy that saves some head-ache.
you need: -Power steering pump - Cooling system for engine and battery - Vacuum pump for brakes - DC-DC convertor for 12 V battery - Old style speedo as td5 is ECU controlled. - heating system Roel 1984 90 2.5 na Diesel - RR V8 (1994-2001) 1997 Camel Trophy Discovery 300TDI (2001-2009) 2005 G4 Discovery III 4.4 V8 (2008-2018) It's gone but it still hurts. 2003 90 Td5 (2009-now) |
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14th May 2022 10:40pm |
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