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Watch this electric retrofit LandCruiser drive over 4 miles completely underwater [Video]
Who says EVs can’t plow through water? A team of engineers, commercial divers, and enthusiasts successfully drove an electric retrofit Toyota LandCruiser across Darwin Harbour, an over 4 mile (7 km) trip. The EV was submerged entirely underwater, navigating depths up to nearly 100 feet (30 m).
Electric LandCruiser travels 4 miles underwater
You heard that right. The team converted a 1987 Toyota LandCruiser to an all-electric underwater powerhouse.
However, the story started 40 years ago when the same LandCruiser attempted the run but failed after hitting a rock less than 2 miles (3 km) in. The unfinished SUV project was bought for $5,000 (via Unsealed4x4), picking up the name “Mudcrab.”
Tom Lawrence, who launched the project, said it’s named the Mudcrab “because it’s orange and crawls along the bottom of the Darwin Harbor.”
Lawrence and others like Glen Summers, an electrical engineer, heard of the story growing up, which drew them to the project.
Three of the team members worked as electrical engineers in Silicon Valley, one being a former Tesla employee.
TV personality behind Aussie Salvage Squad, Luke Purdy, said the project was “the opportunity of a lifetime” and really three projects in one.
Meet the EV that traveled underwater
“First we had to build an electric car. Then build an underwater car and restore a LandCruiser,” Purdy explained.
Submerging a car comes with several hurdles, which kept the team busy “understanding the theory of what happens with pressure and what happens to oxygen underwater,” as well as keeping key components dry.
For this reason, the 37-inch tires are filled with water so they can handle the pressure of being nearly 100 feet (30 m) underwater.
The primary focus was to keep everything simple with one task in mind – crossing the Darwin Harbour underwater.
The electric LandCruiser is powered by a 32 kWh battery pack. Although that’s about half the average EV battery pack size, it’s enough to get the job done without adding too much.
Due to its instant torque, the electric motor can make it easier to move underwater than a gas-powered one. Meanwhile, the electric motor is a NetGain HyPer9, a popular choice for mid to light EV conversions.
The powertrain provides 88 kW power and 162 lb-ft of instant torque. Mounted on the front of the gearbox, the electric motor is protected from water with “innovative engineering techniques.” Purdy explained, “We basically put a garbage tin over the top of it and saturated it with silicon oil” to keep the electrons moving.
Not everything needed to be sealed. “The transmission and diffs can handle water,” Purdy said. “So we’ve gone for an open system because it’s easier.” Instead, the team opted to fill many drive components with food-grade grease to lubricate and keep seawater out of unwanted areas.
Once the electric LandCruiser was ready, it was time to send it underwater. A team of roughly 30 divers took turns driving the submerged EV for about 15 minutes each, reaching depths of up to nearly 100 feet (30 m).
The trip was anything but easy. The team entered Darwin Harbour around 9 a.m. Saturday, four hours later, barely clearing the descent with so much mud, silt, and sand swelling the Mudcrabs tires.
Using inflatable buoys chained to the car, the team lifted the car out of the mud each time. They expected to resurface around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., but the journey took nearly 12 hours. But they did it, appearing before a cheering crowd around 9 p.m.
We don’t recommend this at home, but the Tesla Model S did float well enough to turn into a boat in this 2016 video.
Source: ABC News Australia, unsealed4x4.com.au
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JackRabbit, the maker of pint-sized electric microbikes, is back with a new product designed to quickly recharge their batteries from pure, uncut photons mainlined into an e-bike directly from the sun. In true independent charging form, the Solar Charging Kit from JackRabbit keeps riders rolling even when there’s not a convenient AC outlet in sight.
Unveiled this week, the Solar Charging Kit consists of a single folding solar panel and a tiny voltage converter that is configured to output 42.0V, which is the exact voltage required by JackRabbit’s little e-bike batteries. There’s also an added USB-A and a USB-C charging port for powering other devices in addition to charging JackRabbit batteries.
“This Solar Charging Kit plugs directly into your bike,” explained the company, “letting you recharge without needing an outlet, but with a speed comparable to the charger that comes with the OG/OG2 (42V, 2A).”
That would mean the panel outputs around 80W of solar power, which the company says can recharge its batteries in just three hours. That fairly quick recharging speed is helped by the fact that JackRabbit’s batteries are a mere 151 Wh, or around a third of the size of most e-bike batteries.
If that sounds small, then you’re right – it is. But JackRabbit is all about going micro, offering barely 25 lb rideables that are easy to store and bring on adventures, even when they aren’t actually being ridden.
With small batteries that fit under the 160Wh limit for many airlines in the US, the batteries can be quickly charged and taken to the widest number of locations. And for riders that want to go further than a single 10-mile (16-km) battery will allow, extra batteries are small enough to fit a pants pocket. The company also offers much larger Rangebuster batteries, though they won’t pass by TSA and make it onto an airplane in your personal item.
It sounds like the Solar Chargking Kit should be able to charge up JackRabbit’s large RangeBuster batteries, though likely in more than three hours.
The $349 Solar Charging Kit is a bit pricier than building something similar yourself, but it’s also safer and more convenient than hacking together your own battery charger since it’s designed to work with JackRabbit’s batteries right out of the box.
Technically it’s only inteded for JackRabbit’s micro e-bikes (themselves technically seated scooters, even if they look and feel more like a typical bike), but it’d probably work for just about any 36V e-bike that requires 42.0V to charge.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen solar charging kits for electric bikes, and it’s a trend that is certainly appreciated by outdoors and camping enthusiasts, festival goers, or anyone who finds themself and their bike spending extended periods in the great, sunny outdoors.
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Solar generated 11% of EU electricity in 2024, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time, according to the European Electricity Review published today by think tank Ember.
EU gas generation declined for the fifth year in a row, and total fossil generation fell to a historic low.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Dr Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the report. “At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline.”
The European Electricity Review published today by global energy think tank Ember provides the first comprehensive overview of the EU power system in 2024. It analyzes full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
Wind and solar continue their meteoric rise in the EU
The EU power sector is undergoing a deep transformation spurred on by the European Green Deal. Solar generation (11%) overtook coal (10%) for the first time in 2024, as wind (17%) generated more electricity than gas (16%) for the second year in a row.
Strong solar growth, combined with a recovery of hydropower, pushed the share of renewables to nearly half of EU power generation (47%). Fossil fuels generated 29% of the EU’s electricity in 2024. In 2019, before the Green Deal, fossil fuels provided 39% of EU electricity, while renewables provided 34%.
Solar is growing in every EU country and more than half now have either no coal power or a share below 5% in their power mix. Coal has fallen from being the EU’s third-largest power source in 2019 to the sixth-largest in 2024, bringing the end into sight for the dirtiest fossil fuel. EU gas generation also declined for the fifth year in a row (-6%) despite a very small rebound in power demand (+1%).
The EU is reaping the benefits of reduced fossil fuel dependency
The surge in wind and solar generation has reduced the EU’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and its exposure to volatile prices since the energy crisis. Ember’s analysis found that without new wind and solar capacity added over the last five years, the EU would have imported an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes of coal, costing €59 billion.
“While the EU’s electricity transition has moved faster than anyone expected in the last five years, further progress cannot be taken for granted,” continued Rosslowe. “Delivery needs to be accelerated particularly in the wind sector, which has faced unique challenges and a widening delivery gap. Between now and 2030, annual wind additions need to more than double compared to 2024 levels. However, the achievements of the past five years should instil confidence that, with continued drive and commitment, challenges can be overcome and a more secure energy future be achieved.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said: “This milestone is about more than just climate action; it is a cornerstone of European energy security and industrial competitiveness. Renewables are steadily pushing fossil fuels to the margins, with solar leading the way. We now need more flexibility to kick-in, making sure the energy system is adapting to new realities: more storage and more smart electrification in heating, transport and industries.”
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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