still pretty cool Driving an EV restomod that costs as much as a housethe JIA Chieftain There are no reused Tesla parts here, but the price tag is prototype-level. Alex Goy Mar 2, 2025 6:00 am | 7 The original Range Rover is a prime target for EV restomodding, but JIA have taken both the restoration and the modifications to quite a degree. Credit: Alex Goy The original Range Rover is a prime target for EV restomodding, but JIA have taken both the restoration and the modifications to quite a degree. Credit: Alex Goy Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe Chieftain Range Rover is a fascinating thinga refitted, reskinned, restored classic Range Rover is no new thing, nor is one with a ludicrous American V8 stuffed under the hood. But one that can be had as a gas car, plug-in hybrid, or as an EV? It can be all of those things depending on which boxes you tick. Ars Technica went for a spin in the EV to see how it stacks up.The UK is something of an EV restomod hub. It's been throwing electricity in things that didn't come off the line electrified in the first place for years. Businesses like Electrogenic, Lunaz, and Everrati will, for a price, make an old car feel a little more peppydepending on who you go to, it'll come back restored as well. The Chieftain isn't quite like them. Developed by Oxfordshire, UK, based Jensen International Automotive (the company's bread 'n butter is Jensen Interceptors), the Chieftain is an old Range Rover turned up to VERY LOUD. Or, actually, not loud at all.Of course, these things come at a cost. A Chieftain EV Range Rover conversion, today, will set you back at least $568,000 should you choose to order one. This one was a private commission, and at that price there won't be any built on spec on the off chance someone wants to buy one "off the peg." By any stretch of the imagination it is a huge amount for an old car, but they're custom-built from start to finish. The Range Rover has aged well. Alex Goy The Range Rover has aged well. Alex Goy Slab sides and wide panel gaps mean the Chieftain can't compete with a modern EV in terms of aero efficiency. Alex Goy Slab sides and wide panel gaps mean the Chieftain can't compete with a modern EV in terms of aero efficiency. Alex Goy This Chelsea Tractor need not fear ULEZ regulations. Alex Goy This Chelsea Tractor need not fear ULEZ regulations. Alex Goy Slab sides and wide panel gaps mean the Chieftain can't compete with a modern EV in terms of aero efficiency. Alex Goy This Chelsea Tractor need not fear ULEZ regulations. Alex Goy Yours will be made to your specification, have CarPlay/Android Auto, and the sort of mod cons one would expect in the 2020s. Under its perfectly painted shellthe color is your choice, of courselives a 120 kWh battery. It's made of packs mounted under the hood and in the rear, firing power to all four wheels via three motors: one at the front, and two at the rear. The tri-motor setup can theoretically produce around 650 hp (485 kW), but it's paired back to a smidge over 405 hp (302 kW), so it doesn't eat its tires on a spirited launch. There's a 60:40 rear-to-front torque split to keep things exciting if that's your jam. Air suspension keeps occupants comfortable and insulated from the world around them.Each Chieftain Range Rover is a bespoke affair, which means the interior is really quite something to behold. Quilted seats, not a stitch out of place, leather sourced from Bridge of Weir it's all rather fine. Of course, the architecture of the original car has to be worked around, so don't go in expecting recesses with big screens, or a new dash modeled off some of the curves of Michelangelo's David. It's still a bit angular and of its era inside, but if you're dropping this kind of money on a restored, updated Range Rover, you probably actively want that kind of thing.JIA's work on the car isn't the result of peeling components from crashed Teslas. Everything under the skin is an off-the-shelf OEM part, lovingly installed in available space left by oily motors and transmissions, and gently encouraged to talk to each other. The people who want one of these aren't in the market for recycled bits glued to an old chassisif you're going to drop all your money on a custom car, the last thing you'd expect is a pre-loved battery. Beltlines have risen so high in modern cars you almost feel exposed driving something that first went on sale in 1970. Credit: Alex Goy With it being a bespoke car, there are some, erm, unknowns. When asked about fast-charge times, the company said that "at a typical fast charger it can go from flat to fully charged in about 1hr 10 min," which should mean a decently brisk 2080 percent time, given the nature of battery charge curves. When it comes to range, the company says 210220 miles (338354 km) is workable in chilly conditions, and warmer weather will grant 250 miles (402 km).Ergonomically, not much has changed over the original car. Familiar switchgear and dials are supplemented with digital displays where necessary, giving you access to charge and range information and allowing you to interact with infotainment or the air suspension. The modern tech is sensibly integrated and easy to use.Twisting the transmission tunnel-mounted dial, the car silently switches into drive and gently glides away. Chieftain's home-grown system is pleasingly quiet. While EV tech is quieter than ICE, it can, if implemented poorly, be noisy in its own whirry way. Here, the noise is negligiblethe only thing that really intrudes into the cabin is wind rushing around the windshield. Ergonomics have come some way in five decades. Alex Goy Ergonomics have come some way in five decades. Alex Goy The digital display is a subtle addition to the main instrument panel. Alex Goy The digital display is a subtle addition to the main instrument panel. Alex Goy Tactile controls. Alex Goy Tactile controls. Alex Goy The digital display is a subtle addition to the main instrument panel. Alex Goy Tactile controls. Alex Goy At its core, the Chieftain is still an old Range Rover, which means it's not going to be a sparkling example of handling prowess. Quicker steering than before goes some way to help, as does the air suspension, but it's not a sports car. Expect a bit of roll in the bends, and wooly steering, which at least is decently weighted, though. AP Racing brakes at each corner mean you can scrub speed off easily.The air suspension adds a level of refinement that sits very nicely. Rutted roads aren't really a problem for the Chieftain EV, keeping your rear nicely cosseted. Slipping through town is a joy, too, as even though a Range Rover is a big car, it's slab-sided so you can see where each wheel's going to be. As a car built before safety regs meant doors became big and windows shrank, the visibility on offer is refreshing to say the least. Your eyes are your parking sensors.With more than 400 hp on tap, you'd expect it to be rather rapid off the line, but in reality it doesn't feel super quick. Going 062 mph (100 km/h) takes around eight seconds, which is perfectly respectable for a car like a Range Rover. It cruises wonderfully, torque effortlessly delivered with the slightest twitch of your right foot. Mid-range punch is where the fun really kicks off. If you have something to overtake, with a brief, committed application of your right foot you'll find yourself ahead of them before you know it. Quick EVs aren't a new thing, but in something like a classic Range Rover it feels odd in the best possible way. Seats never left the factory looking this good. Alex Goy Seats never left the factory looking this good. Alex Goy It's a UK car, so CCS2. Alex Goy It's a UK car, so CCS2. Alex Goy AP racing brakes help slow things down. Alex Goy AP racing brakes help slow things down. Alex Goy It's a UK car, so CCS2. Alex Goy AP racing brakes help slow things down. Alex Goy There will shortly be a modern electric Range Rover with all the bells and whistles that go with modern cars. It'll be huge, quick, and almost certainly brilliant to drive. But it'll be new. There are other EV restomodded Ranges out there, too, but the teams behind them seem rather large: their business is EV conversion. Going to JIA's HQ, you see a small team dedicated to all things automotivethe EV conversion was a small part of it. A client asked if they could make it happen, and they made it happen. It's up there with the best EV conversions you can get, which seems staggering given the scale of the business that made it. It's a shame that there's unlikely to be another. 7 Comments