Land Rover has built seven all-electric Defender 110s as test-beds for how electric vehicle components survive in tough off-road conditions.

There are no plans to go into production with the Defender EVs, said Tony Harper, head of advanced research at JLR, but the vehicles could be useful in sensitive areas such as forestry and game parks. 

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One is already in use at the Eden Project in Cornwall to tow the road train from the public car parks to the site. The Defender EV can haul 12 tonnes up a 13 per cent gradient, stopping on the way.

The project started with the Londolozi Game Park in South Africa in 2010; they wanted a zero-emissions game viewer so developed one of their Defenders. That had a top speed of 40mph.

Land Rover took on further development and now have what they call second generation electric Defenders with a top speed limited to 70mph and the capability to be driven for up to eight hours at low, off-road speeds, making them ideal as game viewers or for work in forests and other sensitive areas.

The Defender EV can also wade up to 800mm which is 300mm deeper than a standard Defender and could be modified to operate submerged.

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Land Rover used the eve of press day at Geneva to invite international media to drive the Defender EV, including negotiating a tortuous axle twister (pictured) built on the marina.