Land Rover South Africa has teamed up with lithium-ion battery systems company Axeon to build an electric Land Rover Defender for use in the country’s game reserves.
The Defender’s 2.4-litre diesel engine has been replaced by a 193bhp electric motor and 28.8 kWh battery pack in the engine bay in order to “maintain ground clearance and wading height for this unique vehicle,” according to Axeon.
See pics of the electric Land Rover Defender
When used in ‘the bush,’ Axeon has said that the electric Defender will be good for around 55 miles, or the equivalent of three times a typical game drive - around eight hours. And because it gets around almost silently, “the vehicle has also been able to get closer to animals.”
The electric Defender will be launched as a concept vehicle at INDABA, one of Africa’s largest tourism events, held in Durban, from May 7 to 10.
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the new revised front end