Thread: All discussions relating to the Defenders end of production

Originally Posted by Tombie

Electric vehicles are hardly simple.....

I disagree with you there. While many electric vehicles are flagships chock full of "features", the drive train of an electric vehicle is far simpler in my opinion; less maintenance, fewer moving parts, less heat. Batteries aren't as simple as diesel of course, but they aren't going to fail spontaneously either.

But batteries do fail spontaneously.
Motors will need either reduction gears
High voltage AC
High voltage Heating
Power control
Fly by wire throttle
Battery regulation unit
Battery charger
Electric power steering

That's assuming direct drive

If it's conventional then there is a gearbox/transmission, then transfer case..

Not so simplistic is it

Originally Posted by Tombie

Simplicity. You're an enigma. You've contradicted all you have previously stood by!

Electric vehicles are hardly simple.....

On the contrary Tombie, I've always said a re-design of Defender needs to be innovative as well as stay true to the original. And that I don't think the JLR designers will do so. I don't think anyone there really appreciates the potential or the design philosophy for bringing innovation together with a heavy duty simple and robust design classic. Which is why it hasn't happened. They keep doing it with Range Rover, but it's all too fancy and over blown for Defender.

How about diesel electric [like a train]?

Say a 3cyl 1L engine happy to purr away at specific revs to generate the power, a few batteries and some supercapacitors for temp storage. Independent suspension on each corner and the electric motors drive portals

Originally Posted by MrLandy

An electric Defender would be brilliant, solar powered even better.

That would be interesting in the UK... the recovery services would be very busy!!

Originally Posted by MrLandy

An electric Defender would be brilliant, solar powered even better. Same proportions, simplicity, rechargeable, hoseoutable, clean, economical, versatile, affordable ...How do we get around the fuel baron Neanderthals who can't see how fast the planet is heating up?!? and work out how to make it happen?

Technology is brilliant if it aims for simplicity. Design is brilliant when it achieves simplicity. Bring it on Land Rover, I dare you...

When I compare my petrol lawn mower with my electric lawn mower, electric wins every time.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

When I compare my petrol lawn mower with my electric lawn mower, electric wins every time.

Agree.. But your mower doesn't cross rivers or deserts, mow snow or mud....


My electric shaver is pretty good too, the Petrol model never really appealed, kept waking the wife each morning when I had a shave.


All my comments related to is that Electric isn't simplistic..

Originally Posted by Tombie

But batteries do fail spontaneously.
Motors will need either reduction gears
High voltage AC
High voltage Heating
Power control
Fly by wire throttle
Battery regulation unit
Battery charger
Electric power steering

That's assuming direct drive

If it's conventional then there is a gearbox/transmission, then transfer case..

Not so simplistic is it

You could make a CRD sound complicated if you wanted to.

An electric set up done right could be reliable and easier to maintain.

If it was done well you would look at it as simply your battery module, motor modules, generator module, ecu controller module. All connected with a tidy multi plug loom. Replacing a module could be made easy, servicing rarely required.

Electric motors are known to be very reliable and unless there is a design fault they are likely to outlast the car. A good IP rating that allows you to ford rivers shouldn't be too difficult. The requirement isn't that high at the moment, take a D4 for example, stuck up to the windows in a river for 15 minutes and its probably a right off.

Battery banks are slowly improving, currently Tesla use small cells that look similar to AA's
and I'm sure they can develop them in ways that allow for a number of cells to fail whilst still providing service. A heads up for service/replacement will be given, so complete failure out bush could be made quite unlikely.

Power control
Fly by wire throttle
Battery regulation unit
Battery charger

That's all there already in a D4

The power steering, cabin climate control set up may not be so elegant but they are not mission critical. Bring back the defender bulkhead vents and they could make it optional

There is work to do, some problems to solve and costs need to come down a heap, but I think a Defender with a diesel generator for long haul, battery pack to drive clean around town and electric hub motors that deliver direct drive to each wheel offroad might just result in the most reliable, capable, best defender 4x4 by far! .... dreaming.