We already knew that Jaguar Land Rover is planning to launch an electric version of the Range Rover. The British automaker released some details about it earlier this year, followed by some teasers that revealed the vehicle's almost identical design to its ICE-powered. Fast forward to the present and we have the first spy photos of this model.
Our spy photographers managed to capture this prototype undergoing hot testing in southern Europe. It had British plates and a UK sticker on the left side of the tailgate, yet it was a left-hand drive model. Other stickers reveal its pre-production nature and battery-electric guts, and if you were in any doubt that it might not be an EV, just look at the grille.
This component features a closed design, as there is no internal combustion unit to supply air behind it. The car also had no exhaust pipe and an EV sticker on the rear window. The wheels are quite small compared to the OEM offering for this model and were wrapped in fat tires. However, we don't expect these alloys and rubber to make it to the production variant, which will use Pirelli rayon tires.
Photo: SH Proshots
As you might imagine, the details surrounding the “oily” parts are unknown. However, we can tell you that the Range Rover Electric will be based on the MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture). Sound familiar? Well, it’s the same platform used by the regular Range Rover, and it’s also the cornerstone of the smaller Range Rover Sport. The construction supports internal combustion engines, electrified powertrains, and battery-electric powertrains.
Given it uses familiar underpinnings, we don’t expect the completely silent Range Rover to behave all that differently from regular ICE-powered versions on the move. Sure, it will be a little heavier, but overall it should offer a similar driving experience. JLR has also announced that it will benefit from an advanced traction control system that reacts around 100 times faster than the usual setup, so off-road capability should still be there.
However, you don’t want to stray too far from the path of light, because sooner or later you will run out of juice. You also don’t want to do so without some modifications, which would include at least a set of suitable tires. We expect Land Rover to introduce the Range Rover Electric in a few months, although that’s our opinion, because the model could come out sooner rather than later.