1974 Zero Labs Land Rover Series 109 EV First Drive: The Art Of The Blend

Blending is an essential skill in the production of many things we consume, from tea to coffee, whiskey to wine, hybrid powertrains to regenerative and mechanical braking. Balancing the ingredients perfectly is an art and will make or break the final product. It’s no different for companies converting classic vehicles to EVs, and few have gotten the blend as good as Zero Labs with its latest 1974 Land Rover Series 109.

Blend All The Things

Series Land Rover nerds are no doubt already up in arms as this truck is a ’74 in VIN only. Technically, that would make it a Series III, but Zero Labs founder Adam Roe openly admits to mixing and matching Series II and Series III parts to get the look he wanted. What’s more, most of it isn’t original, anyway.

On the outside, only the doors, roof, bumpers, and grille are original. The rest of the bodywork was recreated in aluminum to get it straight, free of dents and imperfections, and more durable. Tolerances and build quality weren’t top priorities on the original assembly line, and material shortages (particularly right after World War II) led to trucks banged together out of whatever was lying around. After all, they weren’t building luxury vehicles, they were building somewhat civilized military vehicles for expedition duty where they’d surely get banged up.

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Rather than try to rework the original metal into something that looks like a concours restoration, Roe simply has replacements manufactured to modern standards. Similarly, all the lights are replaced with LED units that only look original.

Of course, if you’re concerned about originality, you should stop reading right here. Zero Labs jettisons everything below the body – frame, engine, transmissions, axles, you name it – and replaces it all with the company’s proprietary fourth-generation EV platform. Forget a transfer case and live axles, Zero Labs skateboard platform incorporates front and rear electric motors, control arm suspension at all corners, and a 100-kWh battery capable of fast charging and good for an estimated 250 miles of range.

It's the big giveaway when you walk up to the truck. The skid plates protecting all of it add visual bulk below the bumpers that isn’t inherently bad but very much not period correct. Still, you’d only expect the suspension to have been updated just by looking at it. That, and the painted wheels are a bit big, necessary to fit the modern brakes needed to counter the combined 600 hp. Even so, Roe would really like to get them down to 16 inches (from the current 18s) for a more vintage look.

Climb aboard and any illusion you might’ve had about this being more restoration than modification goes right out the vents under the windshield, which have been meticulously reengineered (the originals are notoriously flimsy). The dash and center console are inspired by a Series II, but obviously modern interpretations. The three-way powered front buckets are from an Audi, the HVAC system is all electric and tied into the battery temperature management system for efficiency, and there are even power windows and door locks with keyless entry. The electrically heated windshield, at least, feels very Land Rover, if a modern one. The analog gauges don’t hurt, either, even if they’re modern designs.

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Will It Blend?

Turn the vintage key, thumb the modern push-button start, and drop the three retro-inspired shift levers back to engage drive on both motors and you can’t help but feel a little confused at first about what you’re driving. The shifters are all theater, with the left selecting drive or reverse, the center selecting high or low range for the front motor, and the right doing the same for the rear motor. In reality, all they’re doing is selecting drive modes and altering acceleration maps, but they drop into place with such a satisfying mechanical thunk you can’t help but appreciate the infusion of a bit of drama and a sense of mechanical connection even if it’s all a bit overkill.

Both motors engaged (you can leave either in neutral if you so desire) the truck glides away with roughly the same urgency of a modern diesel, but smoother owing to the lack of gears, noise, and vibration. Put your foot down, though, and it’ll take off from under you. We clocked a Zero Labs Bronco running the 600-hp Gen II platform at 5.2 seconds to 60 mph, 1.2 seconds quicker than a brand-new Land Rover Defender 110 with the 3.0-liter turbocharged, supercharged, and mildly hybridized inline-six. At roughly 4,800 pounds, this truck is nearly 900 pounds lighter than the modern Defender, EV battery be damned. Zero Labs says their truck will do 120 mph flat out (double the original) and we’ll take their word for it.

Unless you really love modern acceleration in old trucks, we recommend engaging the rear motor only. Reduced power better matches the old truck vibe, quicker than the original (low bar) but still plenty for keeping up with today’s traffic.

Getting up to speed, there’s no forgetting it’s an old truck. True, the modern suspension rides and handles immeasurably better than any Series Land Rover. In fact, this one on its Fox Shocks (air suspension is optional) rides and handles a lot like a modern Defender. The far narrower track, though, makes it feel far more top heavy and tippy than any modern truck. The rack and pinion steering is electrically assisted, but still feels a bit heavy and a bit loose on center, reinforcing that old truck vibe. The brakes feel mechanical and fully modern, in part because this truck coasts rather than automatically engaging regenerative braking. This customer didn’t want regen, and Roe finds it inefficient as it doesn’t allow for coasting and there’s power lost every time the inverter switches direction.

Then there’s the soundtrack. No, not any fake engine noise, just authentic wind noise, rattles, and buzzes. Tightening up the tolerances can only do so much for a body structure that’s nominally 51 years old but designed years before that. Zero Labs has of course installed sound deadening, but only so much as it adds considerable weight. Plus, the cacophony of old truck noises just feels right. And, as out photographer pointed out, a lot of old trucks were so noisy inside you couldn’t hear the original engine anyways. To be fair, it’s much, much quieter than stock.

Then there’s Roe’s perspective on engine noise. “If loud meant speed,” he said, “Gary Busey would be an Olympic track star. He’d be the fastest man alive.”

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Inherent Compromises

Even when you’re rebuilding a classic truck from the ground up, there’s only so much you can do about the original design limitations. If you know Series Land Rovers, you know where I’m going with this. Even with an all-new set of pedals and Audi seats, the driving position still sucks. The pedals are entirely too close to the driver, so the only way to get comfortable-ish is to put the seat all the way back and even then you’re still driving bow-legged (and that’s coming from a driver with an inseam that barely starts with a 3).

While the story is significantly better in the second row, the optional jump seats in the way back are just as bad. Only one can be used at a time as they literally hit each other if deployed simultaneously and even an average-height occupant will be banging the side of their head on the roll hoop.

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Compromise Your Bank Account

This amount of restoration, customization, and conversion work sadly doesn’t come cheap, though Roe is constantly on the hunt for ways to simplify Zero Labs’ builds and reduce the price. Things like power seats and windows cost extra, as do locking differentials (which you may want if you want to put the maximum 15 inches of ground clearance to the test). Dual motors are standard for both power and weight distribution, but you can order a single motor. Take it easy on the build sheet and you can save a bit here and there.

In the grand scheme of things, though, these trucks start at $250,000, so a few dollars here and there only make so much of a difference. Roe would like to move away from complex custom jobs, streamline production, and reduce the build cost, but if you ask nice enough and put enough zeroes on the check, Zero Labs will build you whatever you want. Even if you don’t blend this wine yourself, though, you can be assured of an excellent vintage.