John Brown 4x4 Electric conversion unveiled for Series Land Rovers

NEW 4X4S

John Brown 4x4 launches electric conversion for Series Land Rovers

YORKSHIRE-BASED JOHN BROWN 4X4 HAS ANNOUNCED

the arrival of its E-Series range of fully electric Land Rovers. This is one of several EV conversions to have come on to the market recently – but the Yorkshire-based classic Landy specialist intends to offer ‘a reliable product at a price currently unattainable elsewhere.’

The conversion is available on 88” and 109” versions of the Series II/IIA and III, all of which are offered only in turn-key form – at present, the company is not offering conversions to customer’s own vehicle, though it intends to do this in the future.

As well as the base vehicle, options include a choice of 24kWh and 40kWh options. The former is rated at 105bhp, with a working range of 50 miles, the latter at 105bhp (limited) and 80 miles. With around twice the power of a standard Series truck, not to mention the greater torque of an electric motor, performance is ‘a far cry from the original.’

In each case, the vehicle can accommodate rapid charging and home charging via a wall box – or you can just plug it in to the mains. The latter is the slowest way to charge an EV, but even this will only take six hours to brim the battery.

The company’s prototype vehicle and demonstrator is an 88” Series IIA dating from 1962. Previously rebuilt on a galvanised chassis but retaining the patina of its age, this was chosen for the job ‘to demonstrate what can be done with any Series Land Rover, whether it be a nut and bolt restoration or an original and unrestored example.’

Pre-production work on the vehicle began in 2019, with the build process having been refi ned since then to achieve the best possible mechanical design while honing workshop effi ciency.

‘For far too long,’ says the company, ‘the electric classic car market has been dictated by the few, who produce bespoke vehicles in small numbers – meaning there has never been the opportunity to mass produce and therefore reduce costs signifi cantly across the board.’

Vehicles built in this way also have a number of features which the company says only it can offer. These include repurposed original dials, GPS speedometers, full regenerative braking and a purpose-built electric heating system using the vehicle’s original heater-demister. In addition, the 88” vehicle pictured here weighs 1310kg – 40kg less than standard – and its battery packs are upcycled from existing examples of current EVs.

Customers ordering one of these vehicles from John Brown 4x4 are given a choice of doing so as part of a full nut and bolt rebuild, complete with bespoke spec options; with a galvanised chassis, similar to the company’s demonstrator; or in