Electric Land Rover

What's your thoughts on this guys?

Land Rover Defender Electric OFFROAD - YouTube

Hi Nigel,
I'm all for electric vehicles - I built myself an electric bike.... 3kw motor + 84v + 65 amp = trouser browning speeds and immense torque.

However in something as heavy as a defender - current battery technology limits range to a near un-usable level for the average car user. I've seen some interesting developments recently however, not sure if any else has seen the battery charger on kickstarter I think, that'll charge a smart phone in 30 seconds... and a graphene/silicone capacitor that'll hold more charge than batteries... Perhaps in a few years time we'll see technology like this available to people with electric cars?

Having said all this, I'll sure as hell miss the roar of my dad's V8 series one... and my diesel defender if we're all driving electric cars in years to come. Something very primal about engines.

Impressive, but just doesnt sound right, also far easier to find a garage on route than a 3 pin 230v socket at the side of the road!

Just aint the same without a plume of black smoke coming out of her! One day probably.. but i think for something like this to go for a long time without having to stop and charge we would have to pedal lol!

Haha or you could flintstones it.

They are the future, I think they will be very good offroaders because of the torque.
Battery technology is moving on and once they crack it we will all be driving them. The battery's on the Land Rover hybrid are water cooled with a heat exchanger in the A/C system.

This is a very interesting vid on electric cars Chris Harris Drives The Drayson Racing Electric Le Mans Prototype: Video

Don't think there will be alternative fuels instead? Big oil companies won't want to loose out - so they'll be buying up and keeping secret anything that is likely to be a good alternative fuel source. Apart from veggie oil!

As battery capacity is an issue, why not use a compact generator? Provided the genny used considerably less fuel than a conventional diesel engine (100cc rather than 2,500cc) then I would have thought it a good alternative? No doubt there is a downside as to why this has not been developed for motor vehicles, but is used in train locomotives.

must be a reason that they haven't done it... government probs doesnt want you to have such a fuel efficient engine as they will lose on tax lol

Nigel-S said:

As battery capacity is an issue, why not use a compact generator? Provided the genny used considerably less fuel than a conventional diesel engine (100cc rather than 2,500cc) then I would have thought it a good alternative? No doubt there is a downside as to why this has not been developed for motor vehicles, but is used in train locomotives.

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I've often wondered about this - not sure how much leccy you could generate running a generator that small though...? Top gear did do an electric car like that, but I wouldn't say they did it much justice! like you say though - proven in trains! so can't see why it wouldn't work. Electric would definitely be better for towing - no gear changes, all torque from the word go. Would be able to tow anything haha could do some interesting things with motors on all wheels as well bit like fiddler brakes could drive it a bit like a tank lol

IamRobbie said:

must be a reason that they haven't done it... government probs doesnt want you to have such a fuel efficient engine as they will lose on tax lol

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lol you're probably right! Would love to see some of the tech that the military get to play with first... get all the cool stuff before we see it. Probably never get to see half of it.

personally not in favour of electric cars regardless of their use or type

the only use they would be is moving round a city centre

stay here engines !

Land Rover are developing small engines (1500cc) for electric drive vehicles, I liked the Jag with the two small gas turbines powering a generator.

I'll never get the idea of electric vehicles being non-poluting, it just means that somebody else is producing the CO2; at the power station.
Then there's the small problem of conversion of energy efficiencies.

For instance;
Burn oil in a vehicle and produce motion plus heat with one conversion cycle.
Burn oil in a power station to produce motion plus heat, convert motion to electricity produce electric plus heat, use electric to charge battery to store the power and produce heat, use power to produce motion and more heat result 4 conversion cycles.

Electric vehicles are not kinder to the environment; it's a myth!

They are locally kinder, that's all.

srtgray said:

They are locally kinder, that's all.

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Who cares if the rest of the world is choking to death, just as long as my bit's clean.

brian47 said:

Who cares if the rest of the world is choking to death, just as long as my bit's clean.

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Sadly the attitude of many.

Accessories would be a winch AND a very long set of jumper cables.

Les

brian47 said:

I'll never get the idea of electric vehicles being non-poluting, it just means that somebody else is producing the CO2; at the power station.
Then there's the small problem of conversion of energy efficiencies.

For instance;
Burn oil in a vehicle and produce motion plus heat with one conversion cycle.
Burn oil in a power station to produce motion plus heat, convert motion to electricity produce electric plus heat, use electric to charge battery to store the power and produce heat, use power to produce motion and more heat result 4 conversion cycles.

Electric vehicles are not kinder to the environment; it's a myth!

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Agreed. Most of the pollution a car makes is during production. Therefore my dad's '54 S1 is more environmentally friendly than a new Prius. AND more fun!

Nigel-S said:

As battery capacity is an issue, why not use a compact generator? Provided the genny used considerably less fuel than a conventional diesel engine (100cc rather than 2,500cc) then I would have thought it a good alternative? No doubt there is a downside as to why this has not been developed for motor vehicles, but is used in train locomotives.

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youd need an engine as big as std to create enough power ,train locos use massive diesels