The Land Rover Defender EV we’ve been waiting for is coming, but not soon enough

Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that an electric Defender is in the works. However, as the EV model requires “a significant step in the evolution of the Defender,” it may take some time before we see it hit the roads.

When will Land Rover Defender launch an EV?

As part of its rebranding, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar each became a distinct brand under Jaguar Land Rover in 2023.

JLR announced plans in 2021 to launch six electric vehicles across the lineup by 2026. The plans called for Jaguar to become an all-electric brand, while Range Rover, Defender, and Discover would each release at least one EV by the end of the decade.

Last February, CEO Adrian Mardell admitted, “We are a little bit slower than we said three years ago.” Mardell said the company was now aiming to launch four new EVs.

JLR’s boss said the company was taking its time “to make sure that we put the best vehicles we have ever developed” out for buyers.

The Land Rover Defender EV appears to be one of the models that will be delayed. JLR’s chief commercial officer, Lennard Hoornik, confirmed to Autocar that the electric Defender SUV is proving more difficult than expected.

JLR electric vehicles are coming soon

“Electrifying the current ‘L663’ car, on its D7x platform, is not what we want,” He explained. Although the (L663) model “is brilliant at what it does” as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), Hoornik said, “it’s not easy to find the extra space you need within that chassis for batteries.”

JLR’s exec confirmed that the company is still committed to launching an electric model under each brand, including Range Rover, Defender, Discover, and Jaguar.

However,” finding the space on the current Defender platform is really, really hard, so we will need to use something different,” Hoornik added. “The EV will need to come at quite a significant step in the evolution of the Defender,” he said.

Although Hoornik didn’t confirm it, the comments suggest the electric Land Rover Defender will likely have to wait for JLR’s dedicated EV platform, which is expected to be released closer to the end of the decade.

In the meantime, Range Rover’s first electric SUV will finally hit showrooms this year. At the end of October, JLR said the Range Rover Electric had over 48,000 clients on the waitlist. Last week, we caught a sneak peek of its mid-size electric SUV, likely the Velar, during testing.

After revealing its new ultra-luxury EV concept last year, Jaguar shook the internet (for better or worse) as it looks to revamp the brand. The radical GT concept will kick off a new lineup of ultra-luxury electric models, which Mardell said will likely be priced around around £150,000, or nearly $200,000.