British Army to convert old Land Rover Defenders from diesel to electric

Modifying conventional fuel-powered vehicles into electric ones is a trend that has witnessed increasing takers over the last few years, as the consumer inclination towards EVs has grown. However, it seems a similar treatment is being applied to old military vehicles as well, that too by none other than the British Army. UK's Ministry of Defence has signed a one-year contract with Babcock International to electro-mod the old Land Rover Defender SUVs used as military vehicles.

The British Army has dubbed the entire project as Lurcher, under which the diesel-hungry Land Rover Defenders will be fitted with zero-emission powertrains to test the benefits and challenges of electric mobility in this segment. Babcock, in collaboration with Electrogenic, will reverse electrify the Land Rover Defenders of the British Army. A total of four SUVs have been selected for conversion into electric vehicles.

Among these four Land Rover Defenders, which are still in service, two are protected vehicles, and two are general service vehicles. All of them come powered by old diesel engines, which will soon become obsolete as the global auto industry is thriving to enter the zero-emission era. Keeping this fact in mind, the British Army is trying to find new ways of extending the lifecycle of its ageing vehicle fleet. Also, it has been exploring the defence application and constraints of electric propulsion.

The electric modifications will include a drop-in kit and a modified battery system, which will replace the original diesel engines in the SUVs. Also, the electric powertrains are claimed to come as more powerful than diesel power mills. They are claimed to provide military vehicles with sufficient range for necessary applications