Range Rover EV 2022: design, battery range and release
Land Rover’s first electric car will be the marque’s ‘most road-focused model yet’
Land Rover is developing a Range Rover-badged EV that will spearhead its foray into the electric car market, according to reports.
The electric crossover will be the British marque’s “most road-focused model yet”, but will retain the off-roading capabilities of the brand’s combustion-engined cars to give it a leg-up on rivals such as the Audi E-tron and upcoming Porsche Macan EV, reports Autocar.
Bosses at the Jaguar Land Rover group hope the upcoming EV will help boost falling sales in China - “a key factor in the company’s recent financial woes”, the motoring magazine says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With the Chinese government pushing buyers towards electric cars through measures including subsidies, both the Range Rover EV and Jaguar’s upcoming electric XJ are expected to be vital to the firm’s renewed push in the massive market.
Here’s what you need to know about the electric off-roader:
Release
According to Auto Express, a next-generation version of the standard Range Rover is expected to arrive in 2022.
The electric variant is expected to share the same underpinnings as the combustion-engined version, meaning the EV may arrive shortly after - if not at the same time as - the regular model.
Design
The electric Range Rover will reportedly use JLR’s new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) production platform, which also serves as the base for the electric Jaguar XJ and the combustion-engined version of the next Range Rover.
Unlike the Volkswagen Group, which bases its EVs on electric-only architecture, the MLA platform can take a range of powertrains. In the Range Rover EV, the batteries will be placed underneath the cabin in a “skateboard” design, along with two electric motors on each axle, says Autocar.
The new car should “sit between the Evoque and the Velar [top] in terms of overall size” and is tipped to have a “lower roofline and smaller frontal area” than its siblings “in order to optimise economy and range”, the magazine adds.
Battery specs and range
According to US automotive site Motoring Authority, the MLA platform can support battery sizes of up to 90.2kWh - equating to a range of around 250 miles.
And Auto Express reports that the electric off-roader will “almost certainly be one of the first models to benefit from a new agreement struck between JLR and the BMW Group to develop components for next-gen electric vehicles”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why India's medical schools are running low on bodies
Under The Radar A shortage of cadavers to train on is forcing institutions to go digital
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine solutions - November 22, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 22, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - November 22, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 22, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Are plug-in hybrids better for America's climate goals?
Talking Points The car industry considers a 'slower, but more plausible path' to reducing emissions
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
EV market slowdown: a bump in the road for Tesla?
Talking Points The electric vehicle market has stalled – with worrying consequences for carmakers
By The Week UK Published
-
The week's good news: Dec. 14, 2023
Feature It wasn't all bad!
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
MG4 EV XPower review: what the car critics say
Feature The XPower just 'isn't as much fun' as a regular MG4
By The Week Staff Published
-
Volkswagen ID.5 review: what the car critics say
Feature The ID.4's 'sportier, more stylish twin' – but 'don't believe the hype'
By The Week Staff Published
-
BMW iX1 review: what the car critics say
The Week Recommends BMW’s smallest electric crossover has ‘precise’ steering and a ‘smart interior’
By The Week Staff Published
-
2023 Peugeot e-2008 review: what the car critics say
The Week Recommends This small electric crossover has a ‘sophisticated feel’ and a bigger battery than the original
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lotus Eletre review: what the car critics say
The Week Recommends All-electric hyper SUV is not just entertaining to drive – it’s also ‘extraordinarily well made’
By The Week Staff Published