Electric Range Rover classics get EV smarts and modern infotainment … for $450K

The classic Range Rover is being reborn as an electric vehicle – and it will even have some James Bond inspiration.

British engineering company Lunaz has committed to remanufacturing 50 older Range Rovers that run only on electricity – beating manufacturer Land Rover in producing a Range Rover EV.

The first cars will be ready in mid-2021, predominantly for the UK market.

Lunaz technical lead and managing director Jon Hilton says reviving classic Range Rovers was indicative of the company’s electric engineering nous.

“We designed inherent flexibility within our approach to upcycling the world’s most celebrated cars,” says Hilton.

“The commencement of production of the first electric classic Range Rovers demonstrates the scope of vehicles that can be re-engineered and given an entirely new life through conversion to our proprietary electric powertrain.”

Best known for transforming a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom into an EV, Lunaz appears to be taking advantage of the popularity of SUVs by removing the oily bits from early Range Rovers and replacing them with electric componentry including battery packs and electric motors.

The electric conversions will be done on the original Range Rover, which debuted in 1970 before being replaced by the second-generation model in 1994.

In many cases the engines being removed from older Range Rovers for the EV conversions will be V8s, some not known for their reliability – and none even remotely environmentally friendly.

Priced from a hefty £245,000 (almost $450,000) the Lunaz EV conversions include a Town specification or a Country spec. Each will be available as the short wheelbase two-door or the long wheelbase four-door.

Lunaz will also offer “fully roofless” options inspired by the Range Rover convertible used in the 007 movie Octopussy from 1983.

As the name suggests, Town specification has more of an emphasis on on-road driving and drives only two wheels. There also an emphasis on luxury, with improvements to rear seat space and the option of a “bar area” to cater for the “customer’s favourite choice of beverage”.

Country specification drives all four wheels and includes new suspension, stabiliser bars and bigger brakes, the latter presumably to account for an increase in weight and boost in performance. Lunaz is also making changes to the storage areas and boot “for the transportation of equipment and refreshments for field sports”.

Before being fitted with electric motors and batteries, the Lunaz conversion kicks off with a full back-to-metal restoration to give it an as-new look.

The cars also get new air-conditioning and heating systems that can run on electricity.

And the old sound systems are replaced by modern infotainment systems that included satellite-navigation, wi-fi and modern audio systems.

As with the electrical conversion, Lunaz makes the point that such changes are “sensitively integrated into the existing design of the car”.

It’s all about giving a classic car modern drivetrains and technology without detracting from its classic styling.

Classic EV conversions of old cars are expected to gather pace in coming years.

General Motors has even announced it will begin selling electric “crate motor” conversion kits, allowing people to keep older cars on the road for longer with less maintenance.