First Look: All-Electric Range Rover

Upcoming new Range Rover Electric undergoing extreme winter tests in Sweden near the Artic Circle.

The staple luxury 4x4 SUV that arguably defined its genre is set to go electric soon, and its makers Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have treated us with an early glimpse of it undergoing winter tests in Sweden near the Artic Circle. Whilst details are scant, there are still plenty to note from these first images.

For starters, the new Range Rover Electric (or ‘E-Range Rover’, if you will) looks set to feature similar looks as its conventional combustion (ICE)-powered twin. This perhaps indicates JLR’s decision to not cliché itself with its EVs by giving its drastically different looks from its non-EV twin.

However, we’ll remind you firstly that gauging style is indeed a subjective matter and, secondly, we can still expect a different look in the final production version when JLR eventually debuts it later this year – the vehicle pictured is still an early prototype of sorts.

The test location puts the new 800-volt EV architecture, propulsion, and battery to the test at temperatures as low as -40 degrees.

Crucially, the location of these extreme winter tests are telling too as it demonstrates both the battery and electric powertrain, as well as the 800-volt EV architecture the Range Rover Electric harnesses and underpins respectively, can withstand extreme cold conditions – up to -40 degrees.

Both the electric propulsion and platform are both new and developed in-house by JLR which, according to the firm at least, are poised to enable the Range Rover Electric to “exceed its already renowned performance on low-grip surfaces.”

This promise also stems from the electric luxury SUV’s trick traction control suite. It’s been designed to distribute wheel-slip management to each electric drive control unit. This greatly differs from the usual norm of tying up wheel-slip control with the ABS brakes.

“The torque reaction time at each wheel from around 100 milliseconds to as little as 1 millisecond,” claims JLR further regarding said system.

JLR promises the Range Rover Electric will have similar performance and drive as its V8 ICE-powered twins, and perhaps this image of the prototype sliding through the Swedish snow is proof of which.

JLR already promised the Range Rover Electric at being capable of delivering similar performance as its ICE-powered twin with a V8 heart. For reference, the most potent form of the ICE-powered Range Rover offers over 600 HP and can despatch 0-100 KM/H in just 4.5 seconds.

Surely, these early images are somewhat proving that promise – you’ll definitely need V8 power at least to put a two-tonne-plus SUV sideways fast, even through snow. Of course, there’s more to it than just raw power – and torque.

Since opening its waiting list back in Dec last year, JLR says it has received over 16,000 expression of interests for the Range Rover Electric.

“We are well underway with our physical testing and development programme, all designed at pushing Range Rover Electric to the extremes to ensure its capability remains unparalleled when it reaches you,” says Thomas Mueller, JLR’s head of product engineering for the Range Rover brand.

As a refresher, JLR opened the waiting list for the first Range Rover Electric back in Dec last year. By Feb this year, the firm claims over  16,000 expressions of interest were registered. Expect more details in the weeks leading up to the Range Rover Electric’s official launch.