Have you been hankering to put a last-gen Defender in your driveway? But have thoughts driving a rig that pipes heaps of carbon out of its ancient 4.0-liter V8 been giving you pangs of guilt?
Well, you can let go of that guilt thanks to this new pure-electric Defender conversion.
U.K.-based Twisted has been offering GM 6.2-liter swapped Defenders through its Virginia outpost for a few years. This month, the brand revealed that it has turned over a new, green leaf and is now offering 100% electric Defenders.
The eco-friendly resto-modded British 4x4s — co-developed with a Dutch power company — are offered in two trims: NAS-E and NAS-E Plus. The first carries a $185,000 starting price tag. The latter, the Plus, starts at $210,000.
Three-person bench seating. | Twisted
For that veritable king’s ransom, buyers get a 25-year-old Defender 90 with a soft top, roll bar, three-person front bench seat, air conditioning, touchscreen-based infotainment, upgraded brakes, and — oh yeah — electric motor backed by a 60 kiloWatt-hour battery pack. In standard form, the NAS-E churns out 214 horsepower and 280 foot-pounds of torque.
The Plus bumps horsepower and torque to 320 ponies and 339 torques while adding bull bars, windshield-topping spotlights, and a snazzy body stripe set.
Part of the 60-kiloWatt-hour battery pack. | Twisted
No matter which trim you choose, power is routed directly from the single electric motor to the truck’s original 4×4 system — no transmission is required. Range is estimated at around 200 miles, which isn’t bad given the truck’s aerodynamics are — how do I put this nicely — poor.
For as glorious as all of this sounds, that is if the price tag didn’t scare you off, there are some drawbacks.
First, the range is based upon the European drive cycle, which is far more generous than that of the EPA’s. Chances are good you won’t get anywhere north of, say, 150 miles per charge. That means these rigs will only be suitable as short-range overlanders.
The electronics mate to the original 4×4 system. | Twisted
Then the trucks themselves — finished in one of three colors, Malibu Yellow, Yosemite Green, or Tahoe Blue — are registered with reconstructed titles. Yes, they’re likely not totaled donors. I don’t know about you, but I’d find it hard to swallow slapping $210,000 down on the counter for a Defender with a branded title.
So, if you’re rich, don’t plan to drive very far on a single charge, and can stomach paying near two hundred grand for a totaled truck, your dream EV has arrived. Congratulations.
Header image credit: Twisted
Written by Nick Jaynes. Follow Nick @nickjaynes
