The "New" Defender, ...Your Thoughts?

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Originally Posted by PAT303

Tesla are city vehicles only,look past the hype and think about were you go and what you do in your current one.Whats the range towing a boat/camper etc as a starting point. Pat

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The range will come, the charge times will reduce. None of that will be an issue in the near future, it's being resolved at a furious rate right now.

The Tesla model X top of the range will do over 400kms between recharges and that makes it more than just an urban runabout. It's not a long distance tourer and can't recharge in the middle of nowhere, but that issue will resolve in less time than you think.

You might have trouble finding a diesel pump at the Pink Roadhouse in 2025.

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Originally Posted by PAT303

There will be two distinct themes in automotive history,the people driving electric vehicles with flat batteries being picked up by people driving diesel/petrol ones.:D. Pat

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Haha...I don't think so. Right now yes. But a few years from now, the electric vehicles will be silently gliding around and everyone is going to want one.

I had a Mitsubishi i-MiEV for a week a few years ago and it was a lot of fun. I took it out to Triumph Rover Spares and let Phil have a drive. He loved it. For a little EV it hammered.

It's the future, like it or lump it. 3 years ago I would have said it was decades away but I reckon it's a handful of years away now.

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Originally Posted by steane

My view is still that any vehicle on the drawing board now (even compared to two or three years ago) is on there at an unprecedented time of wholesale change in the history of the automobile and we shouldn't think it will just be another one like the other ones.

It's a very interesting time to be alive. I think we are going to straddle two very distinct and different times in automotive history.

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I agree with you, I think the road ahead (however long it is) with EVs is incredible exciting. Admittedly I'm more interested in what's being achieved when the ICE and electric motors work together (i.e. Twin engine) - I'm a big fan of the Volvo XC90 T8.

It's great to see all the fanfare that Tesla is creating around this new technology though and I'm certain that we'll see that translate into a lot of technological progress. For me though, a pure EV Defender by 2020 is a bridge too far. Some form of hybrid application might not be out of the question though. To be clear, I'm not suggesting the new car won't be totally innovative - but it'll be innovative in a way that plays to JLR's strengths.

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Originally Posted by spudboy

If it came with a USB point in the dash, that'd be the most technologically advanced Defender ever, so they don't have to do too much there to achieve that!

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Mine has a USB, Bluetooth phone connectivity, hands free calling, music streaming and a hell of a sound system. I don't know what you're talking about :D

At the moment we are all thinking of stopping to charge your batteries up on an electric vehicle or some long time process.

Think back to the "efficient , fast " stagecoaches where the coach remained and its power was continuously changed over ie , fresh horseteams changed.

I see exactly the same thing happening at servos....modular slide in slide out battery systems sold instead of petrol.

Truck companies would have changeover bases across the country. The diesels will still be required to service remote areas.

I would suggest LR will produce model variants to suit.

My two bob.

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Originally Posted by steane

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It's the future, like it or lump it. 3 years ago I would have said it was decades away but I reckon it's a handful of years away now.

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I agree it is the future - but I think you are an optimist. For urban use, they may become generally feasible within a decade, although I think even that is optimistic. And likely to be more decades before most users can afford to replace their existing cars.

For the rest of the country? I'm afraid it is likely to be several decades, or more. Not only do we have the problems of range and recharge times, but transferring the energy consumption as liquid fuel onto the grid, even allowing for increased efficiency, will reveal that the existing infrastructure is far from able to sustain this sort of increase in intermittent high current demand, as will be needed for fast recharging.

I have wanted an electric car for probably sixty years, and although I think they are closer to practicality, I fear it will be too late for me.

(Range and recharge are not the only factors - load carrying, towing ability, ground clearance, all come into it)

John

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Originally Posted by Andrew86

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Mine has a USB, Bluetooth phone connectivity, hands free calling, music streaming and a hell of a sound system. I don't know what you're talking about :D

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My PUMA had a CD player that would read MP3s, but that was the limit!

It did have electric front windows though, that impressed my missus, compared to the old TD5 with hand winding windows.

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Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

At the moment we are all thinking of stopping to charge your batteries up on an electric vehicle or some long time process. Think back to the "efficient , fast " stagecoaches where the coach remained and its power was continuously changed over ie , fresh horseteams changed. I see exactly the same thing happening at servos....modular slide in slide out battery systems sold instead of petrol. Truck companies would have changeover bases across the country. The diesels will still be required to service remote areas. I would suggest LR will produce model variants to suit. My two bob.

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You know I hadn't considered the change over concept and with battery/ fuel cell technology having changed so fast it should be possible/ viable within 20 years.

While the diesel traction motor concept is more than 50 years old,
I think a small gas turbine instead of diesel would be a good interim measure- too noisy for urban but wouldn't be a problem in rural or remote areas.
Few moving parts and incredibly reliable, just like good electric motors.

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Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

At the moment we are all thinking of stopping to charge your batteries up on an electric vehicle or some long time process.

Think back to the "efficient , fast " stagecoaches where the coach remained and its power was continuously changed over ie , fresh horseteams changed.

I see exactly the same thing happening at servos....modular slide in slide out battery systems sold instead of petrol.

Truck companies would have changeover bases across the country. The diesels will still be required to service remote areas.

I would suggest LR will produce model variants to suit.

My two bob.

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I've not seen any manufacturer present the exchangeable battery idea. It's a shame. Tesla are building their batteries into the floor pan, which looks far from hot swap!

I think the problem is price and weight. What are they, 20,000 dollar batteries weighing in at 500kgs ? And then there's standardisation which takes ages and it's too soon to even start on that.

Next Defender = Diesel.

...Hang on a minute ! ...what "new" Defender? :eek:

Another thing to consider is the name that will be given to the vehicle that replaces the Defender. After all, the current design wasn't originally called the Defender.

It is a question that should not be underestimated. When Toyota brought out a vehicle that was obviously filling the gap created in their range by the discontinuation of the Corona, they didn't call it a Corona.

There had been a previous, quite different, more sporty vehicle in their range called the Camry and that was the name they adopted for the Corona replacement. They wanted to change the public's perception of the vehicle.

The Corona was generally considered to be reliable, good value for money but about as boring as a car could be. The fact that they used the Brabhams so prominently in the early ads was a further clue that they wanted the give the impression that the Camry was an exciting car, unlike the very staid Corona.

So the question is, does Land Rover think the name Defender conjures up the right mental image of the vehicle they intend to release on the market. What does the name "Defender" mean and will it be appropriate for the replacement?