 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Defender 110 300tdi to EV conversion |
 
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| Wolfie831 Member Since: 19 Feb 2021 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 21   
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Richard Morgan who owns ECC is a Land Rover nut and actually owns the 90 pictured, he uses it as a mobile test bed for all sorts…
My only question is why? - until absolutely forced to, I will be using diesel as LR intended and off setting every other way I can think of… Wolfie |
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4th Apr 2022 8:22am |
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| APK Member Since: 13 Jan 2015 Location: London Posts: 255 
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Power and ride comfort primarily... I found the Tesla ride very uncomfortable and I use standard seats on my Defenders 
(1) No need to pay for ULEZ (2) Tesla does not require any servicing with just 15 moving parts, so hopefully an EV Defender is less maintenance (3) Road tax is zero (4) Last but not least power, 0-60mph in sub 4 is fast and with his latest mod, you have low range as well. I will probably keep the Puma as is, but so long as the EV conversion is < £58k (cost of long range Model Y), it may make sense to EV convert the 300tdi for ride comfort and power. Curious to know if anyone else has similar thoughts  APK
MY2016 110 Adventure Corris Grey MY1997 110 County Station Wagon 300 Tdi Alpine White |
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4th Apr 2022 9:42am |
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| camelman Member Since: 27 Feb 2013 Location: Peak District Posts: 3323
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I got a quote last week for unimog and they based it on the price of a recent 110 conversion.
£95k......  |
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4th Apr 2022 11:13am |
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| APK Member Since: 13 Jan 2015 Location: London Posts: 255
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Response from ECC this morning "...thanks for your enquiry. The Defender conversions cost from around £95k excluding any restoration or upgrades that may be required. We currently have a waiting list of around two years..." Hopefully the price comes down as tech improves and the waiting list comes down or more companies make the EV conversions mainstream. APK MY2016 110 Adventure Corris Grey MY1997 110 County Station Wagon 300 Tdi Alpine White |
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4th Apr 2022 11:18am |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 544
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Unless its a newly registered vehicle, I think you'd still pay VED at the normal rate for the vehicle. Servicing is still going to be needed, plenty of moving bits that aren't engine related. Certainly a lot more than 15.... Also I'm not sure how 'legal' these vehicles are. I'd be amazed if they "really" score enough points to retain their identity: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/ra...d-vehicles Suspect they should be needing an IVA and on a Q plate. |
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4th Apr 2022 2:21pm |
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| kenzle8a Member Since: 12 Feb 2020 Location: None Posts: 1074 
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Pretty sure theres going to be more DIY ish options soon
https://fb.watch/caHohittEl/ |
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4th Apr 2022 2:35pm |
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| APK Member Since: 13 Jan 2015 Location: London Posts: 255
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Chicken_Drumstick,
The person I spoke to at ECC said that if the Defender was registered after 2000, the V5 cannot be updated with the EV upgrade. Mine is 1997. Thanks for your other points. Kind Regards, APK MY2016 110 Adventure Corris Grey MY1997 110 County Station Wagon 300 Tdi Alpine White |
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4th Apr 2022 2:36pm |
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| jpboost Member Since: 13 Apr 2021 Location: Gatwick Posts: 374 
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[quote="Chicken Drumstick"]
I think they're probably ok retaining their registration. From the (your) link, I think they'd retain 11 points from a maximum of 14, with only the engine and transmission not being original You only have to retain 8 points to avoid a 'Q' plate. Unless they're modifying the chassis (it didn't look like they are from the bits I saw) then I don't think there's a problem. Depending on how they have engineered the steering, could lose them another 2 points, but they'd still be 'safe' on 9 points., |
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4th Apr 2022 2:57pm |
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| APK Member Since: 13 Jan 2015 Location: London Posts: 255
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Great. FYI, I asked the ECC contact specifically about this and he confirmed no modifications where made to the chassis and it was kept intact. Just got to look for a spare £95k now  APK
MY2016 110 Adventure Corris Grey MY1997 110 County Station Wagon 300 Tdi Alpine White |
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4th Apr 2022 7:15pm |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2522  
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So by my rough estimate that price equates to 52,777 litres of diesel at the current (around here) £1,80 a litre.
A fuel tanker carries on average 30,000 to 60,000 litres of fuel to put that volume into perspective. And you would still have to pay any ULEZ charges if the DVLA doesn't accept the conversion. Unless i suddenly come into so much money i can afford to get someone to write this for me. at my average mileage of 3.5k a year in the 90 that conversion is a white elephant especially as even the Twisted conversion only has a two year warranty........then what? What happens when your local friendly independent turns around and says that wont touch it. Many questions that would need answering before it feels less like a guilt trip. |
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4th Apr 2022 8:53pm |
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| Wolfie831 Member Since: 19 Feb 2021 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 21
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Why would you want to drive a Defender in a ULE Zone anyway? Just buy an electric mini or some other equally mundane EV, Use the Landy were it should be used off-road, save the 95k and buy some land to play on…!
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4th Apr 2022 10:42pm |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 544
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The trouble is, it is all self certification. There is no official process to establish how many points a car retains. So you'd always be on somewhat shaky ground. With the DVLA having enough ammo if they decided to go after you. There are also sadly no official 'definitions' on any of the points either, e.g. "Steering assembly - original" What actually constitutes the steering assembly? Is a steering wheel included? How about the hydraulic pump? I honestly don't know the answer. And that is the trouble. Every agent at the DVLA will have a different view on it. And there is no single correct or official definition of these parts. Likewise with the chassis. There is no way the chassis isn't modified. How would you attach and secure the Telsa drivetrain into the vehicle otherwise. The .gov site specifically mentions welding and unmodified (in different places). Some people try to bolt brackets and subframes on to claim no welding. But in plain text, drilling and bolting a bracket on would still be a modification. It might be that EV conversions would be graded less harshly in the currently climate. But I suspect the reality is: -Chassis will be modified somehow to accept the EV components. Minus 5 points -Transmission is removed. Minus 2 points -Steering assembly must be altered as no engine to power it. Minus 2 points -Engine is missing. Minus 1 point. So a total of -10 giving you a score of 4 points for the axle and suspension. But I'm not sure what adaptations are needed to mate the Tesla drive gear to the axles. And again it is that lack of detail and clarity on definitions that are the issue. The .gov site clearly says "Suspension (front and back) - original" But is this 'original in terms of individual components or just as a wider design principle? e.g. would different rate shocks and springs mean you'd loose 2 points here as well? Insurance companies would certainly deem them as modifications? Or is the legislation more meaning converting to Independent suspension would be the cause of losing points and rather individual specifications meeting the same design principle would be fine? Then to cloudy or muddy the waters even further. There are another set of .gov guidlines: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/rebuilt-vehicles For Rebuilt vehicles. They are similar to the Radically Altered vehicle regs, but subtly different and don't use the points system at all. But again, there is no official way of deciding if your vehicle should be judged by the Radically Altered regs or the Rebuild Vehicle regs. It is all down to self certification. So, ultimately it is probably all about how risk adverse you are. Chances are things would be fine. But there would always be that risk, that down the line you'd find out your vehicle was no longer road legal. |
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5th Apr 2022 12:50pm |
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| APK Member Since: 13 Jan 2015 Location: London Posts: 255
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Chicken Drumstick - EV aside, I suspect it is a similar discussion for the rebuilds that Twisted and Anorak do. Does the steering assembly count if its not a period replacement? What happens if you bolt a NAS bumper to the rear cross member, is that a modification? I hope to put these points to the DVLA and see what that they say. Thanks.
markb110 - Agreed, does not make sense at the current price point. I hope the cost will reduce as tech improves in the next few years. APK MY2016 110 Adventure Corris Grey MY1997 110 County Station Wagon 300 Tdi Alpine White |
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5th Apr 2022 5:33pm |
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| Race.it Member Since: 27 Aug 2019 Location: Algeciras Posts: 741  
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Think I have seen Chevrolet crate Ev motors that supposedly can replace a ls motor, people already do a ls kit for the defenders so all would be left is batteries and the management side. That may bring the price down a little. 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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5th Apr 2022 8:28pm |
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