Project case study

UAE Puma Defender EV with 100 kWh Tesla Battery and Active Cooling

Full EV conversion / bespoke systems integration

A highly integrated Puma Defender EV conversion built around a 100 kWh Tesla Model S/X battery pack, Tesla Model 3 motor kit, OEM-style gear selector, reverse-engineered Defender gauges and active cabin and battery cooling for hot-climate use.

Discuss a related project
Left hand drive Land Rover Defender Puma EV conversion with 100 kWh Tesla battery pack and active cooling system
Vehicle / platformLeft-hand-drive Land Rover Defender Puma for UAE use
Project typeFull EV conversion / bespoke systems integration

Engineering overview

Systems brought together

  1. 100 kWh Tesla Model S/X battery pack
  2. Tesla Model 3 motor package
  3. Custom EV control electronics
  4. Range Rover gear selector interface

Client goal

The problem to solve

Create a left-hand-drive electric Defender suitable for UAE conditions, with the performance and usability of a modern EV while retaining the character of the original vehicle. The conversion needed to feel complete rather than like a collection of aftermarket EV parts.

The brief

What VASS was asked to do

Electrify the vehicle, integrate a large OEM EV battery pack, uprate the drivetrain, retain a high-quality cabin experience, develop OEM-style driver controls and engineer a cooling system capable of supporting cabin comfort and battery temperature control in extreme heat.

Scope of work

Defined engineering work

  • Tesla Model S/X 100 kWh battery pack integration
  • Tesla Model 3 motor kit installation and EV drivetrain commissioning
  • Drivetrain upgrades including limited-slip differentials
  • Range Rover gear selector electronics and EV interface development
  • Custom centre console integration
  • Original Defender gauge cluster reverse engineering and EV functionality development
  • Cabin AC refurbishment and evaporator upgrade
  • Dual electric AC compressor system for cabin and battery cooling
  • Tesla-style battery chiller/heat exchanger integration
  • Custom HVAC and cooling controller development
  • Pressure, temperature and compressor monitoring
  • 50 C static heat-soak testing in a paint booth

Engineering challenge

What needed careful resolution

  • Packaging a large EV system into a Puma Defender while keeping the vehicle usable and serviceable
  • Making the conversion feel like a factory-quality EV rather than an aftermarket retrofit
  • Managing battery and cabin temperature for UAE-style heat
  • Modernising the original heater and AC controls without losing the Defender interior feel
  • Reverse engineering the gauge cluster so original visual parts could be retained
  • Integrating an OEM Range Rover selector with the EV control system

Practical outcome

The result

The vehicle became one of the most complete and factory-feeling EV Defender projects VASS worked on. The EV drivetrain, selector, gauges, cabin AC and active battery cooling were developed into a coherent system, then tested in a 50 C heat-soak environment to prove the cooling strategy under difficult static conditions.

For similar clients

What this means for another project

This project shows what is possible when a classic Defender EV conversion is treated as a complete vehicle engineering project. It is relevant for clients who want more than a basic electric drivetrain: hot-climate use, OEM-style controls, battery cooling, proper diagnostics and a conversion that feels integrated from the driver’s seat.

Selected work

Selected work connected to this type of engineering.

Twisted Land Rover Defender EV conversion undergoing charging diagnostics and onboard charger repair support by VASS Technology
EV diagnostics / charging system repair

Twisted Defender EV Charging Diagnostics

Specialist diagnostics and repair support for an EV-converted Land Rover Defender by Twisted. The vehicle arrived with a charging fault, and VASS traced the issue to the onboard charger, coordinated the repair process, reinstalled the system and returned the vehicle to full working order.

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