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Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled the Range Rover Electric, the first fully battery-powered version of its flagship SUV and a model the company has spent years developing before bringing to market. Rather than positioning it as a radical departure, JLR has designed the car to be, in its own words, "a Range Rover first and an electric vehicle second", meaning it looks almost indistinguishable from the combustion and plug-in hybrid versions it sits alongside. The most obvious visual clues are a slightly reprofiled front grille, more aerodynamically efficient wheels, a flattened underbody and the absence of exhaust tailpipes, changes aimed at trimming drag rather than announcing the car's electric credentials. Underpinning this is JLR's MLA platform, an architecture engineered more than a decade ago to accommodate either combustion or electric powertrains, which the firm says has allowed the electric model to share the vast majority of its structure with existing Range Rovers.

On performance, the Range Rover Electric pairs two 260-kilowatt permanent-magnet motors, one on each axle, for a combined output described as offering "V8 levels of power": 542 horsepower and 850 newton-metres of torque, enough for a 0-60mph time of around 4.3 seconds despite the vehicle's considerable bulk. JLR notes the motors are built with copper hairpin windings and silicon-carbide inverters capable of reacting in under a millisecond, and says they are notably more efficient than those used in its earlier I-Pace model. A front-mounted induction motor was reportedly considered during development but abandoned over concerns about heat management. Despite adding a large battery and drive units, the electric version is said to weigh only around 75kg more than the V8 petrol model, largely because it dispenses with differentials and driveshafts, and its power electronics are packaged into the space that would otherwise house a transmission tunnel.

The car's 118.5-kWh battery uses an 800-volt architecture with split-charging capability, enabling a 10-80 percent top-up in roughly 22 minutes, or around 137 miles of range added in just 10 minutes on a suitable charger. JLR quotes a maximum WLTP-tested range of 372 miles, alongside a more conservative real-world estimate of up to 333 miles. The company is keen to stress that this electrification has not come at the expense of the Range Rover's traditional off-road ability: it claims the traction control system can adjust motor speed within 50 milliseconds and manage wheel slip up to 100 times faster than a comparable combustion-engined system, that single-pedal driving remains usable on gradients as steep as 45 degrees, and that the car retains a wading depth of 900mm. JLR says the model has been the subject of more patent filings than any other vehicle in its history, and that its cabin keeps a large central touchscreen and steering wheel controls rather than following a wider industry trend back towards physical switchgear. Testing reportedly included exposing live battery packs to temperatures between -40°C and +90°C, physical durability trials equivalent to driving 38 times around the world, and more than 250,000 hours of virtual simulation, with JLR backing the result with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Pricing and timing differ sharply by market. In the UK, orders are open now, starting at £154,070 for the entry-level Autobiography trim and rising to £225,240 for the long-wheelbase SV Black, with range-topping "Ultra" variants offered on a price-on-application basis. In the United States, where the car arrives as a 2027 model, the entry SE trim starts at $138,000 before a $2,550 destination charge is added, a figure roughly half the cost of the electric restomod conversions that were previously the only route to a battery-powered Range Rover. JLR has pointed to strong early interest, citing around 80,000 people who have registered interest globally, about half of them in North America, with roughly 70 percent said to be new to the brand and about a fifth already owning an electric vehicle, though it is unclear how many of these will convert into firm orders. The launch also arrives against a backdrop of weak demand across the luxury electric SUV segment, with rivals such as the electric Mercedes G-Class, along with electric offerings from Porsche and Audi, all reported to have sold poorly, a context that helps explain both the model's delayed arrival and JLR's cautious, badge-led approach to introducing it.

Where outlets differ

One report frames the story primarily around price and market context, dwelling on the tiered UK pricing structure, the disappointing sales performance of electric rivals like the Mercedes G-Wagen, Porsche and Audi, and framing this as a reason for the car's delay; it also gives more detail on off-road-specific technology, patent filings, interior switchgear choices and the testing/warranty programme.

The other report leans into engineering detail (motor construction, weight balance versus the V8 model, platform architecture, packaging of power electronics) and market-readiness signals, notably the 80,000 registered-interest figure and demographic breakdown, plus a comparison to the cost and drawbacks of electric restomod conversions as the previous only option for an electric Range Rover.

Figures given for maximum range are reported slightly differently in emphasis: one source foregrounds the WLTP maximum (372 miles) alongside the real-world estimate, while the other leads with the real-world 333-mile figure as its headline statistic.

US launch timing (2027 model year) and destination fee detail appear in one account but not spelled out as clearly in the other, which focuses more on the base price comparison to restomods.

• www.wired.com
• arstechnica.com