Historic or electric?
The Royal wedding car in which Prince Harry and Meghan left Windsor Castle in may of 2018, was a Jaguar Classic’s all-electric E-type. The silver blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero was originally manufactured in 1968, and it’s been converted to electric power.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted at the wheel of his electric Hummer H1 a year before. The one-off truck is powered by two electric motors with a combined output of 483 hp and has a range of 185 miles per charge.
But Land Rover unveiled seven Electric Defender models at the Geneva Motor Show much earlier, in 2013. The standard diesel engine and gearbox have been replaced by a 70kW (94bhp) electric motor.
Regenerative braking has been optimised to such an extent that using Hill Descent Control, and up to 80 percent of the kinetic energy in the vehicle can be recovered in this way, depending on conditions.
The first Electric Defender began its real world tests at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. One of the many trials at Cornwall designed to put the first Electric Defender’s pulling power to the test saw it hauling a 12 metric ton road train made up of four trailers stuffed with 60 Eden Project visitors.
Trials included pulling the road train up a 13 percent gradient and wading to a depth of 800mm.
The „All Terrain Electric Research Vehicle” still had enough power to hit 70 mph (112 km/h) while retaining its status as a serious off-roader.
Nowadays UK-based vehicle restoration specialist Everatti Automotive has shared its latest electric vehicle conversion, this time in the 1960s-era Land Rover Series IIA SUV.
Cars are officially recognized as classic if they are at least 30 years-old and their original state was completely preserved and maintained.
According to the international federation of vintage vehicles (FIVA Fédération International des Véhicules Anciens), collectors lose a great value when transforming their cars to electric because they are no longer eligible to the classic or historic badge as a consequence. According to the FIVA criteria, not just the chassis but every part of the car has to remain original, so in case of switching to electric, the organization definitely suggests changes that can be undone whilst marking and ensuring the safety and preservation of the original parts for potential future use.
By doing so the car can be restored and it will again become eligible to the historic classification.
Peter Faidt
