An electric-powered Land Rover Defender has been created by Thirsk based specialist Twisted.
The Twisted EV - which comes with a price tag of £225,000 - is said to be the culmination of thousands of hours development and is built using all new automotive components.
The firm is now eyeing international sales as a number of vehicles are currently being prepared for customers in the US.
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Twisted founder Charles Fawcett said: “Twisted has an established reputation as the market leading modifier of Defender and I am excited that we have the ability to future-proof a treasured British icon.
“The fully electric Twisted has been a labour of love for the whole team, with thousands of hours invested into its development. With an estimated 70% of all Defender and Series Land Rovers ever made still being on the road, it is one of the most recyclable vehicles on the market and Twisted has now future-proofed this British icon even further.
“There is something extremely special about the Twisted EV. It has incredible power yet still the charm of the classic Defender. The eco mode effortlessly accelerates to 60 mph and, with sport mode engaged, it just pulls and pulls, it’s absolutely brilliant and incredibly fun to drive. We’re extremely pleased with the finished vehicle and the reception from customers has been phenomenal.”
The EV system developed by Twisted is modular, meaning the firm can create electric versions of the 90, 110 and 130 models.
It offers 200km of driving range and has two drive modes, sports and eco, powered by a high voltage 61kWh battery pack that can be charged within three hours.
The batteries are located under the bonnet and between the chassis rails where the fuel tank would usually sit and, together with electric power steering, the vehicle is said to feel and handle like a normal Defender.
Last year, Twisted opened showrooms in London and in Austin, Texas. The firm already operates bases in Salcombe, Silverstone and Dubai.
