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For sale, through JOHN BROWN 4X4 LTD, Land Rover® Series 3 109 Station Wagon in Marine Blue (1975).
24KWH John Brown 4×4 Electric Conversion with constant 4 wheel drive. Direct drive from the motor, meaning fully automatic and can be driven on an automatic licence. All major charging points (AC/ DC) supported. Towball and Electrics. John Brown 4×4 Wheel Cover. Stereo and Speakers. Interior lighting. Deluxe trim with full premium sound deadening kit, door cards in front, second row and rear door. 10 Seater. Parabolic Springs. Disc Brake Conversion.
We are delighted to present for sale our first ever fully electric Land Rover® Series 3 109, which is in physical stock and ready for immediate delivery. This represents an opportunity for the buyer to be one of the first VIP customers of John Brown 4×4 to have their own, solely Electric Land Rover®. The idea behind these conversions is for anyone requiring local use on a regular basis – those who understand Vintage Land Rovers® will realise that a range of up to 60 miles is sufficient for most applications.
Our founder, John Brown Sr, has continually used the Prototype which featured on the River Cottage Reunited Series and these are his thoughts on it…… “I, like many others, questioned the practical application of a short range old Land Rover®, but I must say it has proved to completely re-write my mindset on regularly using a Vintage Land Rover®. Obviously, over the years, I have driven thousands of these vehicles and so I have a real understanding of what it takes to live with a Vintage Land Rover®. In truth, they are not particularly comfortable and after a while, one seeks to only use such a vehicle on ‘high days and holidays’. For that reason, I tend to drive a coil sprung 90 Land Rover® for regular use, until this prototype arrived. Initially, I thought it would only be usable for doing short range jobs like collecting logs from the petrol station – which it does with great ease. I really enjoy going into pay when they ask which pump I have used, but I only have the logs to pay for! I started to find that I was choosing the Electric Land Rover® to go out on other occasions, where I would have traditionally taken the 90 – local trips to the shops, visits to family or a run to the pub for dinner. It has now got to the point where I am questioning whether I actually need my 90 at all, because the Electric Series can do everything and more on its own. So why has this happened?
Firstly, the lack of Petrol engine AND Series Gearbox mean that I do not worry about breaking down. Nor do I worry about oil leaks or water leaks or, for that matter, fuelling issues (for obvious reasons!). The system has been 100% reliable from day one of initial testing. The charging process (using a wall plug at home, the slowest method) takes 6 hours and the plug in time is about 10 seconds. I have got into a habit of putting it on charge when I get back straight away, although there have been times when I have been out 2 or 3 times between charges. However, generally, I like to set off with a full charge in case the infectious drive carries me further than I had originally planned to go.
And so, to the driving experience – I love the way my EV accelerates – and always take friends out for a spin whenever they ask. My best friend described it as like being in a spaceship with the seamlessly smooth acceleration and that lovely Electric whirring from the motor. Our conversions, unlike others, remove the gearbox and clutch and gearstick in lieu of a transfer box and constant 4WD to all wheels. Some might argue that the loss of low range or 2WD is a disadvantage – but I would always counter this with the fact that you are rid of a large, serviceable component which is not designed for the instant torque and extra power of an electric motor. All the hydraulics are also removed which is often the source of failure. Inferior conversions would allow the user to set off in a low gear with all that extra power which could easily cause wheel spin to the rear wheels and the potential to snap halfshafts/ layshafts in the gearbox, which I have once managed in a standard petrol! Most of the repair work carried out at our premises involves gearboxes and their hydraulic components so getting rid of these items is a massive benefit. Furthermore, losing all those levers massively simplifies the 4WD operation and allows a central passenger a much more practical seat.
In summary, I absolutely love my Electric EV Series Land Rover® and jump in it whenever I can find an excuse to use it. I love not having to worry about the costs of fuel and, in our rural location not worrying about finding a petrol station. Even in the most recent cold snaps, I have my electric heater working through the standard water heater to keep de-misted and warm. Not having to worry too much about servicing, MOT or Road Tax makes ownership super easy and cost effective and the reliability I have enjoyed is a world away from what my usual expectations are when using an elderly vehicle on a regular basis. I have had chance to take the 109 out for a spin, and the LWB makes it an even nicer drive than the prototype, so anyone with the same mindset as me but has kids and dogs in tow would be well set with a vehicle like this. For me, the Electric Series really does create great family memories, especially when I went to pick up the family Christmas Tree in Convoy – I have an amazing photo of 3 trees in the rear along with 2 grandchildren in the front which will remind me of the conversation I had with the old boys about how I managed to create an old Electric Land Rover®!”
JSG SPEC:
The brief for our Electric EV Series models is very simple – we have seen many conversions which seriously alter how a Classic Land Rover® looks, either externally or internally. We wanted to avoid this and keep things as standard as possible, in both respects. This means that externally, this Series 3 109 looks just as it should with all the items you’d hope to see – the defender mirrors, the vintage numberplates, recent bumper, rear grab handles, rear mounted spare with John Brown 4×4 wheel cover, towball and electrics, original galvanised cappings – the list goes on. Being a Factory Genuine Station Wagon, it also has all the hallmarks of the model, with the sliding side windows and alpine lights. The only thing missing is the exhaust exiting out of the rear of the vehicle, for obvious reasons.
On the inside, to the untrained eye, things look very unassuming! – there are three standard front seats, with matting to the footwells and door cards to the doors. The second row of seats are also fitted, and fold down as they should to allow the stowing of larger items. The rear benches also survive, giving comfortable seating for 10 people (12 at a push) including the driver. It is great to see the vast majority of the soft interior trim survives, and a very expensive “La Salle” headliner is fitted above the front seats which houses a stereo and speakers with bluetooth & hands free calling, along with USB charging. Very handy indeed. A rarely seen fully rubberised sound deadening kit is fitted to the footwells, front bulkhead and transmission tunnel. You’ll notice that everything looks as it should – even the heater works, on the same switch they always did. The only addition is a little centre panel with four buttons – an emergency stop, Drive, Reverse and the Operation & Charge Mode button. The handbrake is still in the drivers footwell too, as it should be.
But this is where the period driving experience should come in, but it ends here! JSG starts in the usual fashion – foot on the brake, turn the key. At this point, the motor whirs into life, with the only noise being the Vacuum Pump for the disc brake system (more on that later). From there, it is as simple as handbrake off, with your foot still on the brake, and press drive – away we go! Obviously, being fully electric means a lot of acceleration and power – this system is capped at 105bhp when fitted. This 109 will cruise at the legal limits with ease – the parabolic springs mean a far better ride over standard and it is whisper quiet on the road as there is no engine – this takes some getting used to! Unless you come up against a Tesla on the sliproad, I promise you – your 109 will out accelerate just about anything else on the road. As the brief was all about keeping things standard, the battery boxes are where the fuel tank used to be, and under the bonnet where the motor is – this gives good weight distribution for a better ride, means it can (if required) wade in water, it charges where the fuel cap used to be, the fuel gauge is now your range gauge, your temperature gauge is your battery temperature, etc etc. We’ve also added one special feature to all our Electric Land Rovers® – regenerative braking. When you lift off, the motor recoups as much energy from the wheels as possible – this reduces the need for braking, increases range when driven mindfully and also, the original battery charge warning light is the regen braking light! Clever, ey? Disc brakes have been fitted – this is just to give better braking performance if you get over zealous with the right foot – but if you are driving normally, to be frank, the regen braking will do all the work for you, and you shouldn’t ever need them. When you get home, turn it off, press the charge button & plug it in. The car comes with 1x 13amp charges and 1x rapid charging cable for AC/ DC charging (so if you’ve already got an electric point fitted at home for another car, this will work off this one too!). To protect the batteries, there is an 80% charging mode which is for rapid charging/ AC DC only and a 100% setting to top up with a wall plug etc. Because of the system fitted to the car – ANY AC/ DC charging point, it’ll work. We’ve checked this using the one at the Shell Garage 400yards from our premises!
Oh, and to add to all of that – it is Tax & MOT exempt, retaining its historic tax class, and also has an Electricity Fuel Type on the logbook (this application is pending with the DVLA right now as this advert is being written, we have done this before with our previous Electric Builds). This means it is ULEZ exempt too. Our Electric Classic Land Rovers® are also over 1/ 3 cheaper than competing companies – for three simple reasons. Streamlining to bring costs down, using an existing up-cycled platform to save costs and quite simply, we believe that Electric Land Rovers® should not just be an expensive toy!
RESERVED
Visit our website for comprehensive photos and a varied stock list of Series 1s, 2s and 3s. We Export Worldwide. John Brown 4x4 are the Market Leaders in Vintage Land Rover® Sales.
