The Landrovers Unveils an All-Electric Defender Called Panterra

Amsterdam-based bespoke builder The Landrovers has added a fully electric version to its lineup of restored Land Rover Defenders. Dubbed Panterra, the vehicle starts at just under €500,000 (about £425,000) and pairs a classic silhouette with a completely re-engineered chassis and in-house-developed electric powertrain.

The Panterra uses four in-wheel motors for adaptive torque vectoring, fed by a 200 kWh battery pack that fills every available cavity. Total output is 600 bhp and a claimed 4,720 lb ft of torque, enough to send the 2,900 kg off-roader to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds. A newly designed fully independent suspension—with air or coilover options—manages the weight, while a fresh electric steering rack sharpens the driving manners.

The company says over 250 cars have left its workshop in 15 years, with annual production limited to 28 units. Each commission includes a custom name badge and a buyer-designed clockface. The Panterra commands a €100,000 premium over The Landrovers’ Corvette-V8 Defenders, which start at the euro equivalent of £335,000.

Co-owner Frank Tijs told Top Gear that a new investor is now backing the firm, with plans to “take our platform into a whole new vehicle programme.” That suggests the Panterra’s technology could spawn a separate model line rather than staying confined to restored Defenders.

A Seven-Year Engineering Journey Points Beyond the Defender

Why the Panterra Is More Than an Expensive Conversion

Most electric restomods are transplants: a Tesla pack and motor dropped into a classic shell. The Landrovers spent seven years developing its own solution. Almost every component beneath the skin—the in-wheel motors, the software for the central display, the suspension geometry—was designed from scratch. The effort points to a company that is building a modular EV architecture, not just a one-off curiosity.

The Investor Signal

Tijs’s admission that a new investor is funnelling capital into a “whole new vehicle programme” moves the story from niche craft to industrial ambition. If The Landrovers can spin its hardware into a production run outside the Defender mold, it would compete with boutique electric off-roaders from established luxury brands—and do so with a wealth of real-world data from existing customers who send their cars back each winter for refreshes after arduous use.

A Thriving Corner of the Market

The numbers are tiny next to mass-market OEMs, but a steady 28 units a year at near-£500k prices proves demand for highly bespoke, engineering-led vehicles. The Panterra’s 375-mile range and tangible driving refinement—placid in town, linear throttle calibration—make it usable in ways many converted classics are not. That usability could widen the pool of buyers who previously viewed electric restomods as glorified toys.

What the Panterra Means for High-End Off-Road Buyers

For the handful of affluent buyers in this segment, the Panterra presents a distinct choice:

  • 200 kWh battery and 375-mile range remove the range anxiety that plagues most electric classic conversions, making cross-country road trips (or overland adventures) plausible.
  • In-house motors and torque vectoring mean service and updates won’t depend on a third-party EV supplier—The Landrovers controls the entire stack, important for long-term ownership of a vehicle that owners often return to the factory for seasonal maintenance.
  • The new-investor platform plans could increase resale interest if the Panterra’s technology becomes the basis of a future production model, giving early adopters a piece of a broader brand story.