When all 16 solar panels are connected and the sun is strong the system can generate up to 2.5 kW per hour, similar to what a good socket provides.
Marjon Castelijns’ vehicle is not your ordinary Land Rover Defender Puma. A 2010 model produced in the United Kingdom and imported to her native country, the Netherlands, in November 2023, it was converted into an electric camper car. The Puma initially ran on a diesel engine, which Castelijns only test drove once in the Netherlands to confirm it was in good mechanical condition before conversion. Castelijns is no stranger to Uganda, a country she calls her second home. She lived in Uganda from 2009 to 2017. During this period, she drove a Land Rover Defender for five years as her second car.
When she moved back to the Netherlands in 2017, for two and a half years, she drove an electric car. From 2018, she worked for an energy transition company in the Netherlands, focusing on the conversion of ships to electric propulsion. She also taught about energy transition and climate change, a project she wanted to replicate in East Africa. “I thought that if I am going to teach about climate change, I should not be driving a diesel car. It was then that I decided to look for an electric 4X4 that could also serve as a camper. They were not in production, and that is how I came up with the idea of buying a 4X4 and converting it into a 100 percent electric camper,” Castelijns says.
While Castelijns Land Rover De- fender Puma primarily charges using solar power, it can also be recharged using hydroelectricity.
Passion for green energy
Castelijns’ passion for Land Rovers matches her passion for green energy. She first heard about climate change and seasons back when she lived in Uganda. When she travelled back to the Netherlands, climate change was already a hot topic in politics. She believes it is mostly European countries that are contributing to climate change, the reason some have working plans and targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by embracing electric car technology.
“When I left Uganda in 2017 and started working for a company working on energy transition in shipping in 2018, I re-educated myself about climate change. I talked to the sustainability directors of companies such as Amazon, DHL, and IKEA to convince them to work on their next shipment with us. The more I read about climate change, the more I was convinced that it is going to be a very big problem worldwide in the next 10 to 20 years,” she explains.
According to Castelijns, globally, climate change can increase inequality because rich countries can protect or prepare themselves better. However, a rise in inequality can also be seen within communities such as Kampala. For example, those living on top of Kololo Hill are less affected than those in Naguru go-down, something she believes is unfair. “That is what drives me to teach people about climate change so that they understand what is happening and why. In East Africa, people are aware that climate change is happening, but most do not know what is causing it. Fortunately, they are eager to learn. Many are aware that electric vehicles exist, and there is far less resistance than in Europe. Uganda and East Africa can benefit from the changes that the fight against climate change will bring. Besides fighting climate change, electric vehicles reduce air and noise pollution in cities,” she says.
Converting the Land Rover
The engine, gearbox, fuel tank, and a few other parts were removed during the Land Rover conversion from a combustion engine to an electric car. The engine was replaced with a charged battery that sits under the bonnet and an extra solar-powered battery at the rear. However, the conversion process had three projects running simultaneously: a camper with a water purifying system, making the car electric, and adding a solar system.
A combination of the three projects, Castelijns shares, sometimes created challenges, especially the solar system. She wanted a pop-up roof with solar panels on top of the car, but the solar component with 16 panels was too heavy to lift. “I remove 12 solar panels before I sleep in the car. In the camper, I added a small bed so that someone else can camp in the car. I also wanted to have my own drinking water because I did not want to buy plastic water bottles when talking about climate change and the environment. I pump water into the 30-litre water tank, and it is filtered as it goes to the tank and as it is drawn for drinking. It has been the best component in the car,” Castelijns says.
When all 16 solar panels are connected and the sun is strong the system can generate up to 2.5 kW per hour, similar to what a good socket provides.
Battery charging
While Castelijns’ Land Rover Defender Puma primarily charges using solar power, it can also be recharged using hydroelectricity. The charging time depends on the type of power source. A weak, single-phase socket delivers about 1.3 kW per hour, while a stronger source can provide up to 3 kW per hour. To fully charge a 60 kW battery using the weaker socket, it would take approximately 50 hours. However, an overnight charge typically provides enough power for a day’s drive.
When all 16 solar panels are connected and the sun is strong, the system can generate up to 2.5 kW per hour, similar to what a good socket provides. This energy goes into charging the rear battery. Around the equator, however, peak sunlight typically lasts only about four hours a day, after which solar output drops. Even so, a full day of solar charging can provide enough energy to drive up to 50 kilometres, depending on the terrain.
After conversion
After conversion, the Land Rover Defender Puma includes an 83kWh battery, an electric motor with 180kW peak power, and a Type 2 charger that allows charging up to 11kW per hour. The battery systems are connected to the e-motor, which links to the transfer box. From the transfer box onwards, everything remains original, including the double differential. Because she travels to remote places, Castelijns added solar charging as an extra adjustment. The 16 180Wp lightweight panels charge an additional solar battery at the back of the car via an inverter. The battery, a former Tesla battery, can charge the vehicle. To test the car and its solar charging, she drove it across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg for approximately 3,000km, and after this drive, she had to make adjustments to prevent overheating, including stronger pumps and safety tweaks. The Land Rover Defender Puma runs well. It drives smoother and more silently than a diesel car, although it accelerates faster and lacks the gear control needed on steep slopes.
The car also acts as a camper for the adventurers and every sunrise brings a new horizon. PHOTOS / ROLAND D. NASASIRA
The East African journey
Castelijns shipped the car from the Netherlands to Antwerp, then around Africa via India and Sri Lanka to Mombasa. From there, she drove through Kenya, across much of Uganda, and recently returned from Rwanda. Her journey continues to Arusha and other parts of Tanzania before heading back to Mombasa, where she will ship the vehicle home to the Netherlands. Driving in East Africa, she says, is a completely different experience from Europe. Kenya and Uganda are similar in that both have numerous speed bumps, or potholes, in Uganda’s case, which drain more energy from the car. Rwanda, on the other hand, has fewer speed bumps thanks to roadside cameras, but its hilly terrain also demands more power.
“In Uganda, you get real off-road driving, something that rarely happens in Europe,” Castelijns says. “I had prior experience with Defenders, so I was confident the converted Puma would perform well. I used low gear with the differential lock twice when tackling extremely rough and steep roads. The car is heavy and does not have a first gear, so on very steep inclines, it struggles to pull. But once I engage low gear, it delivers incredible power.” She camped more in Kenya than in Uganda, noting that Kenya is better equipped for overlanders. Many campsites in Uganda are remote and lack access to grid electricity, making overnight charging a challenge.
Service and maintenance
The car was serviced before it was shipped from the Netherlands. In Kenya, she replaced some lights; in Kampala, she had the suspension checked and some bolts tightened. After touring Karamoja and Northern Uganda, more suspension components were replaced. In Rwanda, she changed a suspension bush, but the vehicle has had no electrical issues so far. When she returns to the Netherlands, she plans to update the vehicle’s software. “Electric cars have lower maintenance costs than combustion engine vehicles because they do not have many moving parts,” she explains. “For anything that is not electric, I can drive into any garage and have it serviced.
While Castelijns Land Rover Defender Puma primarily charges using solar power, it can also be recharged using hydroelectricity.
But for electric components, I would not let just anyone touch it unless the company in the Netherlands that did the conversion is involved.” She adds, “I can connect my computer to the battery management system and the Vehicle Control Unit, which is linked to the electric motor and all electrical parts. If I have an internet connection, EV Europe can log in remotely, analyse everything, and make any necessary adjustments.” The conversion process was expensive in Europe, where a mechanical engineer charges between 75 Euros (about Shs311,000) and 85 Euros (about Shs353,000) per hour. The project went over budget, partly because this was the first time the company installed the system in a Land Rover. The camper conversion and engine removal took about two and a half months, followed by another two and a half months for the electrical installation, and two to three weeks for the solar system setup.
