Defense contractor Babcock International has teamed up with Electrogenic, which has expertise in electric vehicles and has previously converted a Citroen DS to run on electricity. They have won a one-year contract to convert and test four in-service military Land Rovers - two protected vehicles and two general service vehicles.
The Armoured Trials and Development Unit will test the vehicles in various military scenarios to evaluate their performance in steep terrain, wading and towing, and different climate conditions.
Chris Spicer, Babcock’s managing director of engineering and systems integration, land, said: “This is a great opportunity to investigate alternative engine technology, which will enable the British Army to extend the life of its Land Rovers as diesel becomes obsolete.
The Electrogenic Land Rover conversion kits offer three battery sizes – 62 kWh, 70 kWh and 93 kWh – offering a range of up to 150 miles-plus.
The battery boxes are designed to be dense and carefully crafted in a way that does not affect the cabin space. Additionally, each kit is equipped with CCS charging and a fast cabin heater. Furthermore, the control system supports different drive modes (e.g. sport, eco and town) and regen-delivered engine braking for controlled offroad hill descents.
All the kits drive like an automatic but retain the transfer box so you still have full four-wheel drive, high and low ratios, and the transfer box diff-lock.
Steve Drummond, co-founder of Electrogenic, said: "Our EV technology elevates performance – particularly when in adverse conditions and off-road – to a whole new level. It’s the ideal fit for military vehicles."
Source: FleetNews
