Electric Vehicle Spotlight (EVS): ECD Automotive Design is building badass one-of-a-kind electric Land Rovers using Tesla motors

Earlier this month, Electrek bought an invitation from ECD Automotive Design to return go to its facility in Orlando and uncover how its workforce builds fully customized 1:1 electrical Land Rovers. The corporate has just lately begun constructing electrical variations of its one-of-a-kind autos by integrating Tesla motors and battery packs. After a tour of its total footprint and a check drive in a very customized electrical Defender, it’s truthful to say that ECD Automotive Design places the “customized,” in “customer support.”

Humble beginnings

ECD Automotive was based eight years in the past over a number of grownup drinks between two of the three founders – Scott Wallace and Tom Humble. They’re associates with no automotive manufacturing expertise who thought it is likely to be an excellent concept to open a customized automobile store – a enterprise targeted on one-of-a-kind Land Rovers from their native UK, designed with the client in thoughts all through your complete course of.

Wallace recounted the boozy brainstorm to me outdoors ECD headquarters, sharing that when the subsequent morning got here, he had anticipated to listen to from Tom, admitting the beers had gotten the very best of them. In a clearer way of thinking, the concept of constructing customized vehicles was foolish, if not fleeting.

To Wallace’s shock, Humble had as an alternative stop his gross sales job. The 2 then recruited Tom’s youthful brother Elliot from the UK, rented a 1,200 sq. ft. storage unit in Kissimmee, Florida, and ECD Automotive Design was born.

Land Rovers shipped from the UK and rebuilt customized

ECD Automotive makes a speciality of fully customized classic Land Rovers – extra particularly, D90, D110, D130 Defenders, the Sequence IIA, and the Vary Rover Basic. Since these Land Rovers are far more outstanding within the UK, the fellows at ECD have cleverly discovered a course of to ship them over in value efficient methods.

To import Land Rover chassis from the UK, they should be at the very least 25 years outdated. So, ECD Automotive ships the chassis alone, then newer Land Rover fashions are dismantled and shipped over as elements. ECD’s workforce then sand blasts the chassis to make sure they’re high quality and begins the customized rebuild with the newer elements atop them.

Do not forget that 1,200 sq. ft. storage I discussed? ECD Automotive has since taken over your complete 45,000 sq. ft. facility, combining all its particular person garages into numerous work stations, every with its personal function within the construct.

In keeping with Wallace, your complete customized automobile course of takes 14 months from the beginning of the design to buyer supply. That features 2,200 hours of labor unfold throughout 20 totally different stations. The customized Land Rover spends 5 days at every. ECD additionally check drives its accomplished builds for at the very least 1,000 miles earlier than delivering them to make sure the standard and design is as much as spec for its fastidious clients.

Though Wallace comes from a enterprise capital background, he helps run an especially tight ship at ECD, utilizing organized processes and know-how to maintain observe of each single motion of every automobile, from chassis to completion – placing proficient people into roles that empower them however nonetheless maintain them accountable. Every step of the method is triple checked by a number of groups, then most likely checked once more.

Land Rovers (electrical and never) which are actually considered one of a form

Once I say these are customized autos, I don’t imply you merely select your exterior coloration and your inside material (you hear that, Porsche?) These are full 1:1 automotive artistic endeavors which are hand constructed to a clients’ precise specs, which may change very often throughout a 14-month course of.

Wallace defined to me that when a customized Land Rover is delivered from ECD Automotive Design, it turns into the mental property of that buyer. Ought to a brand new buyer see considered one of ECDs many earlier tasks and request the identical construct, ECD will say no. No two autos that depart its meeting strains are the identical, and the ECD workforce prides itself on that method.

All through the tour, Wallace gave me story after story of the customizations ECD Automotive has dropped at fruition for its clients all through the 400-ish builds it has accomplished up to now. This consists of all the pieces from a customized skid plate with a message in Swahili lower out of it, to numerous animal furs on the dashboard and even a customized paint coloration to match a consumer’s home.

“We at all times say sure,” admitted Wallace as he defined the true nucleus of ECD Automotive’s customer-first method. Give the client precisely what they need and hold them within the loop all through your complete course of, together with after supply by providing a guaranty that covers private and environment friendly fixes for any points or damages that will come up after supply.

ECD Automotive’s clients are actually arms on within the design course of.

If clients don’t come go to ECD’s amenities in Florida, the corporate will ship them numerous leather-based and coloration samples together with video and movie updates of the construct each two weeks. Prospects additionally obtain one of many unique door hinges (see above) framed and despatched to them as a memento of the outdated Land Rover earlier than it turns into fully reborn.

Lastly, when an ECD automobile is delivered, every buyer receives their very own customized e-book, documenting your complete meeting course of with images {and professional} photographs of the ultimate product. This consideration to element and customer support is a big purpose why ECD Automotive Design has doubled in progress YOY.

Regardless of customized Defenders beginning at $180okay every, ECD will get loads of repeat clients, some buying three or 4. Wallace defined that ECD as soon as delivered a customized Land Rover on a Saturday, and that very same buyer reached out about one other construct on Sunday. He in contrast it to a baby leaving for school – These clients miss being a part of the design course of that has been part of their life for over a yr.

Lately, some clients have begun requesting electrical variations of ECD’s customized Land Rovers, and who’re they to say no?

ECD’s builds now embrace electrical Land Rovers.

As a author of electrical mobility information, the principle purpose for my go to was to expertise one of many newer varieties of customized builds at ECD Automotive – all-electric Land Rovers geared up with Tesla Motors and batteries.

At present, ECD is utilizing an electrification package from Electric Classic Cars (ECC) within the UK, which is comprised of 1 450 kW Tesla Mannequin S motor and two Tesla battery packs – one to make use of beneath the hood in lieu of the combustion engine and one for the rear. These 8,256 cells mix for a battery capability of 100 kWh.

I used to be capable of see one of many electrified variations being constructed and bought a peek at ECD’s intelligent method to placing a Tesla Motor on a 25+ yr outdated chassis. Reasonably than have the electrical motor flip the wheels straight, ECD’s workforce turns the Tesla motor 90-degrees to energy the prevailing driveshaft.

Whereas electrification is considerably new to self-described “Petrol heads” just like the Humble brothers and Wallace, they’re optimistic they’ll proceed to impress their Land Rovers and supply higher specs to clients. “When constructing considered one of a form autos, there isn’t a e-book,” Wallace advised me as he spoke about all the varied engine and motor choices ECD Automotive can supply, “Usually by truck six or seven, we determine it out.”

That will sound like a nonchalant method to autos costing a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars}, however make no mistake – even when the ECD founders typically fly by the seat of their pants to ship what their clients need, the teams they have put in place that truly construct the autos know precisely what they’re doing. One of many ECD paint workforce members, Gio Sarika, even confirmed me the best way to do my first hydro dip:

Challenge Britton: An all-electric Land Rover Defender

Following my tour, I used to be capable of check drive a just lately accomplished EV referred to as Challenge Britton – a Land Rover Defender D110 geared up with the aforementioned Tesla Mannequin S motor and batteries.

ECD co-owner Elliot Humble walked me across the electrical truck and confirmed me the batteries. As you may see from the pictures, the rear pack is hidden by lovely teakwood that doubles as a bench which could be slid open for straightforward entry.

In keeping with Elliot Humble, the 100 kWh battery presently delivers 170 miles of vary on common, which is smart for a automobile a lot bigger and fewer aerodynamic than a Mannequin S. He mentioned that if you happen to have been to drive frugally, you can most likely get 200 miles of vary out of it, however who needs to try this?

The present electrical Land Rovers rolling out of ECD use a J1772 plug quite than the proprietary Tesla plug and assist Degree 1 and a pair of charging. Elliot Humble advised me that future electrification kits ECD acquires will quickly be capable to supply DC quick charging capabilities as effectively.

ECD Automotive Design can electrify any of its Land Rover fashions for patrons, which tacks on about a further $50okay for the Tesla package.

On my drive, I observed a combined feeling inside the electrical Land Rover. The accelerator had the oomph that comes with the moment torque of an EV (which by no means will get outdated, btw), however the brake required much more push than I’m usually used to, extra harking back to a combustion truck.

As soon as ECD’s gross sales and design lead, John Worth, and I bought out on some open highway outdoors Orlando, I punched it over 60 mph in beneath 5 seconds. There was a whistle-like hum of the electrical motor working, giving me a sense of being inside a teakwood clad spaceship. That being mentioned, the sound was nothing in comparison with the rattling and revving of a combustion engine, particularly the Chevy LS3 or LT4 engines ECD presently presents.

The inside was completely beautiful, that includes a simplistic however intuitive sprint that helps the EV with out dropping its basic automobile attraction. I really loved the expertise and hope to be requested again when the brand new facility is up and operating.

After driving in each an electrical and combustion Land Rover, I’ll take the electrical all day. In keeping with the ECD workforce, most individuals which have pushed the electrical Land Rovers agree.

ECD’s future with electrical Land Rovers and past

Wanting forward, ECD Automotive Design continues to increase. I used to be capable of pop in and see its new 100,000 sq. ft. facility being accomplished throughout the road. The departments will slowly begin switching constructing within the coming months. When the brand new house is operating full steam, ECD’s construct capability will soar from 60 autos a yr to 200.

As EV adoption grows, ECD’s new facility ought to be capable to assist orders for increasingly more clients requesting all-electric Land Rovers. At present the corporate is biking about one EV a month, however as package costs decrease and electrification turns into extra mainstream, ECD is assured it will possibly promote lots extra.

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