British automaker Jaguar Land Rover says it has begun road testing prototypes of its long-awaited Range Rover Electric, as the company also opened the waiting list for those looking to pre-order.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) already offers various hybrid models of its Range Rover and Land Rover, but the company is now beginning the long road to transition to full electric vehicles.
It announced earlier this year that it was planning to invest £15 billion and reskill over 11,300 employees in pursuit of its long-term electric and digital strategy, and also announced plans to spend £4 billion on the construction of an EV battery manufacturing facility in the UK.
On Wednesday, it said road testing of its new Range Rover Electric, billed as “one of the most rigorous engineering sign-off programmes ever”, has stated.
The testing program will confirm the capability of the Range Rover Electric to endure extreme temperatures, all conditions and terrain, and the ability to wade through up to 850mm of water.
JLR offered a teasing “first glimpse” of the Range Rover Electric in a new 40-second video, accompanied by the usual marketing talk of “breathtaking modernity” and the like.
“We are on target to create the quietest and most refined Range Rover ever created,” said Thomas Müller, executive director of product engineering at JLR
“The magic ingredients that underpin the success of Range Rover remain unchanged: timeless, reductionist design, a serene cabin and go-anywhere capability – but now offered with zero tailpipe emissions.”
The electric Range Rover will be based on the company’s 800V Modular Longitudinal Architecture and built at its Solihull plant in the UK, while batteries and electric drive units will be assembled at its new Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.
Jaguar Land Rover has also opened the waiting list for the Range Rover Electric, ahead of formal orders opening to clients and claims that it has generated the most interest of any of its vehicles in its 53-year history.
“Because of this unprecedented success story, we’re now opening the official waiting list for the opportunity to be among the first to place a pre-order for the most anticipated Range Rover of recent times,” said Geraldine Ingham, managing director of Range Rover.
The Range Rover Electric waiting list will be available on the Range Rover landing page this evening, or you can contact your Australian Range Rover retailer.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.