This Everrati Land Rover Is the Strong, Silent Type

Whether you like it or not, EV-swapping classic automobiles is getting more popular. If you ask my opinion on the matter, I’d say it depends entirely on the subject car. Electrifying an Enzo-era Ferrari? That should be a capital offense. But what about an old Land Rover? That’s a much better idea. The engine was never the star of the show in these off-roaders, anyway. Far from it. A modern, reliable, powerful electrified drivetrain would make an old Land Rover nicer to drive and easier to own, wouldn’t it? That’s Everrati’s argument, anyway. The British firm, which has been electrifying classics for the past five years, has just added the Land Rover Series IIA to its lineup. I recently drove one to see how it is.

Founded in 2019 by Nick Williams and Justin Lunny, who first got the idea for electrified classics after seeing Jaguar Classic’s EV E-Type at the Royal wedding the year before, Everrati is based in Oxfordshire. Other than the Series Land Rover, the company’s offerings include 964-generation (1989–93) Porsche 911s, W113-generation (1963–71) Mercedes-Benz SLs, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagens, and Ford GT40 replicas by Superformance. Their aim is build cars that “are restored to better than new and can be enjoyed in a low carbon world.”

Everrati nevertheless aims to retain as much of the car’s original character as possible, too, albeit with some more premium interior trim as well as safety improvements. The electric motor, inverter, and battery pack make up the powertrains developed in-house, and all the work done to convert the vehicle is deliberately reversible. Everrati’s biggest customer base is in the U.S., but naturally it also has customers in Europe, and its EV builds are even popular in the oil-rich Middle East.

As for the Series IIA Land Rover, it lasted from 1961 to ’71 and originally came with noisy, clackety gas or diesel four-cylinder engines and a rather agricultural four-speed manual gearbox. It’s unrefined and not particularly nice to drive and, especially in soft-top, short-wheelbase form, not the most elegant-looking thing on four wheels. Even so, strong international sales and a worldwide reputation for toughness and utility made made it an adventuring icon and universally cool.

Buyers of Everrati’s electrified Series IIA probably won’t be doing much serious adventuring, though. The base price starts at around $200,000, and that doesn’t include the cost of the donor vehicle, which isn’t exactly cheap in today’s market. There aren’t charging stations in the bush, either, but this ’60s classic is nevertheless improved in many ways for 2024. First is the motor, which makes a claimed 150 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Not much in a truck, but leagues ahead of the 70 hp and 124 lb-ft produced by the original four-banger. Everrati mounts the battery pack in the center of the chassis but goes no lower than the original gas tank did, so ride height remains the same. The chassis itself is also galvanized, and the original 1960s setup of drum brakes and leaf-sprung live axles remains. Disc brakes are optional, and their fitment allows Everrati to raise the electronically limited top speed from 65 mph to 75 mph.

On the inside, Everrati trims the seats in pillowy Bridge of Weir leather (which is the world’s lowest carbon leather, apparently) and available teak wood decking, and changes out the instruments with gauges that look like the originals, but which instead measure things like battery charge and range. Speaking of range, Everrati claims up to 150 miles.

Squeezing inside of this right-hand-drive Rover is a familiar feeling to anyone who’s experienced one, except everything is fully restored and with a more premium feel. The driving position is still upright and commanding, but the leather feels soft and expensive. The aluminum, wood-rimmed steering wheel looks more sports car than sport utility, but it’s very pretty. To switch the vehicle on, you turn a good-old-fashioned key. To go, you pull the original-looking shift lever back to engage drive, and set off.

Straight away, the electric motor’s delivery is smooth and responsive. Most electric motors are, of course, but it’s a nice feeling in something that still very much feels and drives like a Series Land Rover—aside from the noises, the regenerative braking, and the extra performance. There is a whine from the electric motor that rises with the pressure on the right pedal, but it’s not at all unpleasant, and is arguably a better noise than the underpowered original. Unlike some EVs, the acceleration here isn’t savage or scary. Power is modest, with 0–60 coming in about 13 or 14 seconds. But you wouldn’t want a “fast” Series IIA Land Rover anyway. That’s not the point. That would be scary. Instead, this build keeps the character of the original while adding enough oomph to keep up with modern traffic, climb steep hills, etc.

Part of that “character,” though, also means vague and wandering steering, bucking and shimmying over bumps in the road, and brakes that get the job done but definitely don’t stop on a dime. This isn’t a bespoke 21st century EV cosplaying as an old Land Rover. It’s an old Land Rover tastefully upgraded with 21st century bits.

Along with restomods, electrified classics continue to gain legitimacy as this hobby goes through big, quick, and interesting changes. Builds like this help to understand why. Series IIAs aren’t rare and they can be found all over the world, so modifying one is forgivable. In fact, it helps keep them on the road. The ICE engine in a Series IIA isn’t some precious icon, either, and a change to electric power offers numerous advantages. And while none of this is cheap, the best of these high-end restomods and EV swaps offer a hard-to-achieve balance between preserving the charm and driving experience of an older vehicle while seriously upgrading its performance and comfort. The Everrati Land Rover definitely pulls that off.