British Army Set To Convert Old Land Rover Defenders From Diesel To EV

Defense company Babcock International has formed a new partnership with EV conversion expert Electrogenic to electrify in-service military Land Rovers for the British Army. The UK’s Ministry of Defense signed a one-year contract with the firm.

Four in-service Land Rovers – two protected vehicles and two general services ones – will be converted using a drop-in kit and a modified battery system, but the real hard work begins after that. Once running on electric power, the Land Rovers will be handed over to the Armored Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) to place them in several typical military and battlefield scenarios.

Chris Spicer, Babcock’s very serious sounding 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. I’m excited to see how the converted Land Rovers perform in a test environment against diesel and hybrid equivalents.”

“We are delighted to be working with Babcock, and we’re immensely proud to be putting our market-leading EV technology to the ultimate test with the British Army,” said Electrogenic co-founder Steve Drummond.

The electric Land Rovers will help the MOD prepare to transition to electric vehicles in 2030, with a greater goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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