TOYOTA

The legendary FJ40 has modernized

The Land Cruiser FJ40 was a rare case of popularity. The power of its engine, combined with the characteristics of the chassis and suspensions, transformed what was in its genesis a working car into one of the first jeeps to be used as a vehicle for everyday use with an obvious off-road aspect, that is, an SUV. And this was in 1960.
Today, with 60 years of use and abuse, these models have engines “tired” (and polluting too much for some cities) and boxes that scratch so much that they replace the horn, which makes them ideal models to electrify, that is, replace the original diesel mechanics with a more modern and 100% electric one. One of the companies that makes this change is Vintage Air, a transformer from Santo António, Texas, which is also Jay Leno's favorite to make modifications to his classic models.



Regardless of the good work of Vintage Air, it is good to keep in mind that there are also high-level transformers in Portugal, such as Zeev. This FJ40 is destined for a customer on a Caribbean island, so in addition to electrification, the Toyota needed to be equipped with air conditioning. All of this was done in Texas.
The diesel engine gave way to an electric one, without Vintage Air advancing with power, but a manual gearbox was installed (the gearboxes seem to have disappeared, but are not necessary with an electric motor) and the differentials of the Japanese brand. The simplest and cheapest transformation, since it can guarantee a 4 × 4 system with only one electric motor.



To move from side to side, the electric FJ40 assembles an accumulator with 36 kWh, a battery pack built with Tesla modules that should guarantee a real range between 120 and 153 km, depending on the use, which should be around 200 km if calculated according to the WLTP system.

Autonews