They got rid of a non-roadworthy 1978 Land Cruiser’s powertrain and replaced it with an electric motor.
According to reports, a team in Australia electro-modded a 40-series Land Cruiser and set a new world record for the longest & deepest underwater drive. The record – the team drove a total of 7 km (4.3 miles) across Darwin Harbour while reaching depths of up to 30 metres.
Reports state that the Australian team were inspired by a similar stunt performed in the early 80s by Darwinians. The original attempt was done by a team equipped with a 60-metre snorkel who tried to cross the harbour in a Land Cruiser but failed after 3 km.
The Australian team consisted of a number of mechanical engineers, divers and more. They got rid of a non-roadworthy 1978 Land Cruiser’s powertrain and replaced it with an electric motor. The old Land Cruiser was chosen only because it was easy to tear down. Glen Summers, a team member stated, “I would not be interested in going about this in a more modern Land Cruiser. It [the 40 series ‘cruiser] is perfect for this. It doesn’t have to be registered and we don’t need any safety stuff, because we are driving really slowly – 1 to 3 kilometres an hour [0.6 to 1.8 mph].”
The team also took inspiration from underwater ROVs by encasing the electric motor, controller and batteries in silicon oil. The team also built a pressure chamber to test different battery cells and capacitors to ensure they could survive deep underwater & at high pressures. The tyres of the Land Cruiser were also filled with water, which not only ensured it could handle the pressure but also help the car stick to the bottom of the harbour. Before making the record attempt, the full car was tested in salt water.
During the record attempt, the electric Land Cruiser is said to have handled the water well but was getting slowed down by loose mud and sand. The team had to attach balloons to lift the car out of the mud. There was also a gas pipeline which the car had to get over, further delaying the progress.
However, despite all the obstacles, the electric Land Cruiser faced no catastrophic failures and emerged on the other side of the harbour after 12 hours, creating a unique record.
Keyword: Electric Land Cruiser drives underwater: Sets new world record