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

"Mars Rover". The perfect name for the Defender replacement in 20??

Steane, you're on the case, nice work. The future is definately coming fast (everywhere except Australia where innovation is just hollow words).

The perpetual waiting with no info from JLR is beginning to inspire a great discussion.

Hybrids make total sense for the foreseeable future IMO.

Defender was always going to be finite, incomplete. imperfect. ...which actually makes it perfect, complete and timeless.

Cheers

Originally Posted by steane

Won't be that way forever, just at the start.

AGL has announced today that they will provide $1 per day charging for EVs and the main reason is interesting. It's to use power that is ALREADY being generated.

"If you're an AGL customer, or become one, then we will provide charging for electric vehicles, $1-a-day, all you can eat," Vesey said.

The offer is understood to be part of an effort not only to win more customers, but, crucially, to build base load on its generators. Vesey told the conference that power supply in Australia "way exceeds demand" and that "clever thinking and leadership" is required.

EVs aren't decades away. Handful of years before the Chinese are offering Aussies affordable EVs with a decent range.

That is all very well one company now, but when everyone has an electric car these offeres will cease to exist. Charging a car with current methods of power generation is less green than a car run on fossil fuels, sad but true. Electric cars are also very dangerous in a car crash both for occupants and emergency services, especially if they catch fire (you cant put them out easily). Then the question how long do the battery packs last ie how often they need replacing and when they do how easily are they recycled?
Chris

Originally Posted by cafe latte

That is all very well one company now, but when everyone has an electric car these offeres will cease to exist. Charging a car with current methods of power generation is less green than a car run on fossil fuels, sad but true. Electric cars are also very dangerous in a car crash both for occupants and emergency services, especially if they catch fire (you cant put them out easily). Then the question how long do the battery packs last ie how often they need replacing and when they do how easily are they recycled?
Chris

Big things always start with small steps. The fact that a power company is offering EV owners a deal in Aus NOW kind of suggests that EVs ARE HERE NOW much to the chagrin of the people who think it's decades away.

You can come up with any argument against it that you want but the fact is it is happening. It will happen quicker than most people will expect and it will roll out the best way it can be rolled out. One day it will be very green. It might not start that way but it will end that way. EVs will have bigger ranges than fossil fuel powered cars, might not start that way but it will end that way. The model T had 2hp the latest HSV has 500hp. Getting knickers in a twist about how it will all happen is a waste of time because it's going to happen.

Accidents and fires - Electric cars, 15 years from now simply won't crash. Autonomous technology is all about improving traffic flows and removing human error. And I'm sure when some numpty human manages to drive their EV into something there will be ways to deal with the outcome. People aren't stupid. We've developed ways to deal with most types of emergencies reasonably effectively. But there will always be some carnage on the road ahead. Our most effective learning is via our mistakes.

Forget what we know now and what we drive now. It's all up for grabs in the next two decades and will change completely.

This must have been what it was like when the first cars started to appear. "Oh my god, how will that ever work...what do I feed it and why doesn't it poop"

And to keep it on topic, this is why I believe any new Defender is going to be something completely out of the box, simply because it will have a brave new world of change to deal with. It's going to have to be able to straddle the move from old tech to new tech in the one platform generation.

Some GREAT discussion and ideas here now.
However, I must admit that I'd never even thought of some of the very impressive ideas/developments suggested.
I've read about Tesla, even seen one, no doubt a lovely innovative. energy efficient car, and I know JLR have an "Electric" Defender.
Like I've said before, whilst I believe there will be one, I know absolutely nothing about it, but I do think, that an "Electric Defender" is not what we will see.
Any "new" Defender will have to be a volume seller, and I don't believe that electric power will cut it in that category,....so I'm staying with Diesel power.
JLR have put a lot into, & made a lot of, Ingenium, of which we have seen only one example, to date.....I predict various editions of that engine to power any new Defender.
Pickles.

But things that make a defender a defender will go. Narrow pillars replaced with ones that house an airbag. Seat position so you can see your front tyre gone in favor of side intrusion and cup holders. Narrow seats to go in the way to accommodate for larger people. A large steering wheel in favor of a multi position thing with an air bag and cruise controls. Pwm to all leds. An air con that works. A service reminder....sealed 8sp clutch release torque converter less paddle shift planetary drive gearbox. A vehicle that has two fuel tanks, but one is for urea... a diesel engine with a spark plug...

Originally Posted by steane

Big things always start with small steps. The fact that a power company is offering EV owners a deal in Aus NOW kind of suggests that EVs ARE HERE NOW much to the chagrin of the people who think it's decades away.

There are fewer than 3500 EVs on the road in Australia, out of 18 million registered motor vehicles. The fanfare is obviously orders of magnitude higher than that figure would suggest, but I think it's important to keep things in perspective. An electricity retailer taking advantage of that hype and grabbing a few headlines is inexpensive and clever marketing.

You're right though, big things start with small steps. I don't think it'll take the technology decades to become viable, I think it'll take governments, regulators and power companies decades to catch up and create an environment within which large numbers of these cars can operate effectively. You only have to look at our internet in Australia to realise how slow that process can be.

In the next 10 years I think we will see electric cars come on line in a major way. Initially city cars but 4x4's in some compacity won't be far behind. Boot stations that charge the car are already going in a big way in europe, and the roll out is starting in Australia. It's possible to do Bris to Syd in 3 charges of 20 minutes, so comparable to a conventional fuel stop nowadays. You don't park and plug, just park over plate and the charge is transferred to a pick up under the vehicle. Your new defender may also be 3D printed from a common place in your capital city. Purchased on line like a song from iTunes, downloaded to the printer, and waiting for pick up when you arrive. It's possibly going to be driverless, probably smaller, all wheel drive and steer as well.

20 minute fuel stops - you must have little kids

On topic - EVs will be driven (pun intended) by what is available ex Europe..

What you'll see is American vs EU in Australia... And the Japanese vehicles will depend on which of those 2 above they are targeting the model at.