Old, rugged Land Rovers, Broncos and Jeeps belong in our globe’s oldest, most rugged corners, right? They certainly look the part.
But looks, as the folks over at Australian startup Jaunt know well, can be deceiving. Those archaic, fossil-fueled machines are a terror for the environment, not to mention loud and smelly for their passengers, and probably shouldn’t be driven in places that are still relatively pristine … no matter how epic they look on Instagram.
That’s why Jaunt is currently raising money to convert vintage 4×4 icons into a rental fleet of all-electric adventure mobiles — the company has until April to raise its $50,000 goal on Indiegogo.
Jaunt’s current mission: prove that Australia wants clean energy SUVs. Donations of just $50 to its Indiegogo campaign earns you the chance to test drive their 100% electric 1971 Series 1 Land Rover — currently the only car in their fleet — in June of this year. Though Jaunt is based out of Melbourne, they plan to host test drives — and eventually full-fledged rental sites — out of every major Australian city. Day-trippers would be able to rent a car for a few hours, and campers for a few weeks.
It seems Jaunt has a long way to go, but we’re impressed early on by the company’s ambitious plan and self-awareness. The “Story” section on the Indiegogo campaign discusses the history of Land Rovers on the continent: how they fought bushfires, helped build roads, serviced farms and ferried aid to remote communities. These vehicles can obviously do it all; that doesn’t mean they need to harm the environment while doing so, though.
Jaunt is one to watch, and as everyone Stateside’s Australia trip is always a “couple years out,” could arrive right on time.
For more information on the campaign, head here.
Images via Jaunt
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