With the release of the Jaguar I-Pace, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) showed that it was one of the first manufacturers to take electric cars seriously. After releasing the first true Tesla competitor in 2018, they continued on with their pledge of investing $18 billion into electrification by 2021. This is following a previous $14 billion investment into electrification. Seemingly, the company is changing direction and shifting focus towards electric cars.
The initial plan was to make available three variants of each model by 2025. A gas, plug-in, and electric version. A closer deadline of 2020 was also set for the broader term of “electrified”. This could be anything from a mild hybrid to a plug-in, but it’s a start and the initial 2025 plan stands today. With announcement after announcement related to future electric cars, JLR has shown their confidence in our all-electric future.
“The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK. We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, Electronic Drive Units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands.”
The Jaguar I-Pace has already hit the streets and is available at your local dealership today. Up next, Jaguar’s flagship vehicle, the XJ. This will be the first car resting on JLR’s new electric platform and will be the first to be built out of their new Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant. The plant has been fully fit specifically for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. The current Jaguar XJ production has ceased and will resume with an all-new redesigned battery-electric version. This marks a milestone as we shift history into the future.
On the Range Rover side of the dual company, an all-new all-electric Range Rover is being produced. Earlier reports dubbed it the ‘Road Rover’ but JLR is now simply referring to it as a “medium SUV”. This will be an all-new, never before seen, model which is scheduled for as early as 2021. Size-wise, it will sit in between a Range Rover Evoque and the Velar. This puts it would mark it as a competitor to the new Audi E-Tron, Mercedes EQC, and possibly even the Tesla Model Y.
Like what was done with the Jaguar I-Pace, the new electric Range Rover is expected to be lower with a sleek and modernist look. This is technically for range efficiency and aerodynamics but few will complain about the design benefits as well.
Both electric vehicles seem to be racing towards production. Each are expected to be based on the new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform allowing for the three variants. The platform differs from the I-Pace greatly and will allow for a battery up to 90.2 kWh. This will allow for a nearly 300 miles range on some of the world’s most favored cars.
What do you guys think of JLR’s future with electric cars? Let us know down in the comments below.
Source: Carscoops
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