The British automaker JLR is preparing for a historic launch
December 17, 2023: The business describes the upcoming 2024 release of the new Range Rover electric variant as the "quietest & most refined Range Rover ever created." Customers who wish to buy the new Range Rover electric can add their names to the waiting list, according to an announcement made by the British automaker.
Swati Bhat
By 2024, JLR (the new official name for Jaguar Land Rover) will launch its first Land Rover electric vehicle, the all-electric Range Rover, on a global scale. Reservations for the EV will be available later this year, and it will be constructed at the UK's Solihull production facility.
The Range Rover EV will share the same MLA platform as its donor vehicle, allowing for the integration of completely electric and hybridised ICE powertrains. The Range Rover EV is marketed by JLR as the "world's first electric luxury SUV." Director of JLR's vehicle project Nick Collins stated that it would "deliver true Range Rover values" in an "uncompromised" manner, encompassing "off-road ability, usability, and refinement." He went on, "It will be a testament to what this brand will create and a benchmark for refined luxury." As part of JLR's commitment to have an electric vehicle under each of its four brands (Range Rover, Discovery, Defender, and Jaguar) by 2026 and an electric product in each of its model ranges by 2030, and for every car it sells to be electric by 2036. The MLA platform will eventually give rise to further EVs.
When its gigafactory is operational within the next five years, the electric Range Rover will transition from using batteries made by JLR parent firm Tata Motors to batteries obtained from an outside source. The CEO of JLR, Adrian Mardell, reaffirmed that the agreement to provide batteries was stable and would not cause a delay in the new car's 2019 debut.
In keeping with the brand's goal of having a 60% EV sales mix by the end of the decade, all Land Rover models will have a fully electric drivetrain option. Even though disguised prototypes haven't been seen on public roads, the electric Range Rover, which will compete with the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUVs, is still under wraps. However, from an aesthetic standpoint, it shouldn't look much that different from the ICE-powered vehicle.
One of the first production models to gain from a new joint development relationship between JLR and BMW, which will see the German and British companies work together on electric drive systems, maybe the electric Range Rover. It's unclear how these technologies will compare to those found in BMW's current electric vehicles or even JLR's Jaguar I-Pace, but it's practically a given that an electric Range Rover would have two driven axles and be comparable in power to the most powerful internal combustion engine.
Plans for hydrogen by Range Rover
It's interesting to note that, according to what Land Rover programme director Nick Miller previously told our sister publication Autocar UK, the MLA architecture can also easily accommodate a hydrogen powertrain. This suggests that, as the company continues to develop its Project Zeus hydrogen programme, a Range Rover FCEV may be in the works.
To reach zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, Land Rover claims hydrogen will be "complementary" to battery-electric technology across its lineup. The company has already tested a hydrogen-powered Defender prototype.
Copyright: Matthew Wisniewski / Wisconsin Energy Institute
Creator: Matthew Wisniewski / Wisconsin Energy Institute | Credit: Matthew Wisniewski / Wisconsin Energy Institute
Soon, a concept for a driveable fuel cell is expected to be unveiled. With the car, Land Rover will be able to demonstrate why hydrogen might be a better substitute fuel than batteries for its vehicles, which are usually heavier and bulkier with an emphasis on long-distance refinement.
What is a drivable fuel-cell concept?
Soon, a concept for a driveable fuel cell is expected to be unveiled. With the car, Land Rover will be able to demonstrate why hydrogen might be a better substitute fuel than batteries for its vehicles, which are usually heavier and bulkier with an emphasis on long-distance refinement.
