New Range Rover Electric to arrive this year, and the queue is already long

The first-ever Range Rover Electric will finally be launched later this year, it’s been confirmed – and more than 57,000 people have already joined the waiting list to get their hands on the zero-emissions take of the iconic luxury SUV. 

That’s before the Range Rover Electric has even been officially unveiled, although we’ve seen plenty of pictures of prototypes being pushed to their limits in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle and the sweltering heat of Dubai. It’s also been spotted being put through its paces on Germany’s gruelling Nürburgring race track.

The latest photos released by Land Rover reveal that the Range Rover Electric will look identical to the existing petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions, save for a new grille insert that’s more flush. This is to improve the aerodynamics and help maximise the range, but also because the car’s batteries and electric motors require less cooling.

Previous teaser images show the Range Rover Electric will feature unique EV-branded centre caps on its alloy wheels, and an electrically operated charging port door – something even the £330,000 Rolls-Royce Spectre can’t boast. 

A close-up of the electric Range Rover’s rear light cluster shows there are no obvious changes to the design here. So expect darkened lamps connected by a black trim panel with Range Rover lettering across it. Another image gives us a glimpse of some copper-coloured trim on the side of the car, although it’s unclear whether this will be specific to the EV, or a new option across the range.

The Range Rover Electric will sit on the same Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform as the combustion-powered models, and be built in the same factory in Solihull. Jaguar Land Rover says the batteries and electric drive units – details of which are still under wraps – will be made at the firm’s new Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.

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The maker says the electric Range Rover will “deliver performance comparable to a flagship V8”. The only other technical details revealed so far surround the car’s 800-volt electrical architecture – similar to the system used in the Porsche Taycan. This should give the Range Rover access to the UK’s expanding network of 350kW ultra-rapid chargepoints. And although battery sizes haven’t been confirmed, we’d expect a 10-80 per cent charge to be possible in under 30 minutes – even for a battery of 100kWh or more.

Thomas Müller, Executive Director for Product Engineering at JLR said: “We are on target to create the quietest and most refined Range Rover ever. The ingredients that underpin the success of Range Rover are unchanged – now with zero emissions.”

But the new vehicle will also be able to perform well off road, just as any Land Rover product should. The company says the car’s testing regime will see it “subjected to one of the most rigorous engineering sign-off programmes ever – to confirm capability spanning extreme temperatures, all conditions and every terrain”. Land Rover says the Range Rover EV will be able to wade to depths of 850mm – the same as a coil-sprung current-generation Defender.

Geraldine Ingham, Managing Director for Range Rover, said when the waiting list opened for the EV last year: “Since going on sale in 2021, the latest-generation Range Rover has set a new benchmark for desirability. Across the globe, we’re seeing the highest levels of client demand in our 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.”

Click here for our list of the best electric SUVs on sale right now...