The Electric Seven: Land Rover Reveals a Septet of Zero-Emission Defenders [2013 Geneva Auto Show]

Land Rover, a brand recognized stateside primarily for its leather- and lumber-lined vessels of suburban transport, still can get down without getting, comparatively, quite as dirty. To demonstrate, the brand has replaced the standard diesel engine in seven of its iconic Defender models with a fully electric powertrain. Earlier attempts at electrifying the Defender were carried out in conjunction with European electric-drive specialists Axeon and limited to game-preserve use in South Africa. The conversion uses a 94-hp electric motor that produces 243 lb-ft of torque, mated to the Defender's standard-issue all-wheel-drive system and locking differential. Juice comes from a 27-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that resides between the front fenders in the void created by the diesel's absence. Land Rover figures the combo is good for a range of more than 50 miles. Off-road, however, where low-speed travel is often measured in hours instead of miles, the brand claims the battery will last up to eight hours before needing a recharge. Bring along a good book, because you're looking at a minimum of four hours with 7-kW "fast" charger, or 10 hours with a portable 3-kW charging unit. Comparison Test: Acura MDX vs. Audi Q7 3.0T, BMW X5 xDrive35i, Land Rover LR4 HSE, Lexus GX460 First Drive Review: 2009 Land Rover Defender 110 XS Station Wagon Instrumented Test: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Because the electric motor delivers maximum torque right from the get go, Rover ditches the transmission, employing a simple 2.7:1 reduction gearbox in its place. Land Rover's Terrain Response—the semi-automatic system that optimizes vehicle response for specific surface and conditions—also has been tweaked for the electric application. To save weight, reduce complexity, and increase durability, all the major components, including the battery, inverter and, motor, are air-cooled. The battery alone weighs 910 pounds, and a fully outfitted electric Defender weighs about 220 pounds more than a standard Defender 110. Although Land Rover makes it clear that these vehicles will not see production and essentially are rolling laboratories used primarily to assess electric vehicles, the off-road icon hasn't given the vehicles a pass in testing: In addition to surviving the usual cheeky off-road mucking about and fording streams up to 31 inches in depth, the Electric Defender successfully pulled a 25,000-plus-pound road train up a 13-percent gradient. All seven of the EVs are expected to go into service in specialist applications later this year. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 647533