About Jaunt
Founded in 2018 by Dave Budge and Marteen Burger. Twenty cars delivered, seventeen on the floor, and the country's largest classic-vehicle electric conversion workshop.
The story
The idea was simple and slightly crazy. Take the world's most iconic vehicles and rebuild them as electric. Not because it was easy. Because Dave wanted an electric four-wheel drive and couldn't buy one. Rather than wait for someone else to solve the problem, he started solving it himself, with Marteen.
The first build proved the concept. The second proved it could be repeated. By the fifth, the engineering had evolved into something genuinely world-class, and the awards started confirming what the team already knew.
Today, Jaunt operates Australia's largest EV conversion workshop, with a team of fifteen spanning software engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, fabricators, and technicians. We design, engineer, manufacture, certify, deliver, and service every vehicle that leaves the workshop. That level of vertical integration is unusual. It's also the only way to do this properly.
Why this matters
Australia has the highest 4WD-to-vehicle ratio in the developed world. Australians spend more per capita on vehicle modifications than any other developed nation. And until very recently, there was no factory-built electric 4WD available here.
Heritage vehicles are cultural icons. They represent decades of automotive history, personal stories, and emotional connections. Scrapping them is a waste. Leaving them burning 15 litres per hundred is a problem.
Remanufacturing them as electric vehicles gives them another 30 years on the road, with zero emissions, near-zero maintenance costs, and better performance than the day they left the factory. That's sustainability through preservation. Not scrapping. Not replacing. Extending.
How we think
We come from product design and software, not traditional automotive. That means we think about vehicles the way Apple thinks about phones, or Teenage Engineering thinks about synthesisers. As complete user experiences, not collections of parts.
Every component, every connection, every detail is questioned. Does the user experience this? Should we design it differently? The result is vehicles where a thousand invisible decisions collectively produce something that just feels right. You won't notice the printed wire labels, the potted connectors, the calibrated throttle curves. But you'll notice when they're not there.
The team
Software engineers building battery management systems and motor controllers. Mechanical engineers designing drivetrains and thermal systems. Electrical engineers ensuring every high-voltage circuit is safe, certified, and elegant. Technicians who assemble these vehicles with the care of watchmakers and the pragmatism of farmers.
We're always looking for people who care about getting the details right. Open positions →
The workshop
Our facility in Scoresby, Melbourne houses everything needed for complete vehicle development. CAD workstations, 3D printers, CNC machining, full mechanical assembly bays, electrical testing benches, dyno facilities, and road-testing capabilities.
Multiple vehicles are in build simultaneously across different platforms. On any given day there's a Land Rover Series in early disassembly, a Mini on the dyno, a Defender on the floor for engineering review, and a Moke being commissioned for delivery. The whole workflow runs in the same room, with the same people.
Recognition
Recognising the Land Rover Series platform as one of Australia's premier industrial design achievements.
For excellence in design and engineering, Product category.
Australian Financial Review recognition alongside the world's best new vehicles.
Dave Budge recognised for contributions to electric vehicle technology and Australian manufacturing. The Australian.
Featured on Apple's Small Business Success Stories page, highlighting our use of Apple tools across design and engineering.
