Range Rover will launch two new EVs soon, but the electric Defender may be a bigger hit

We will finally get to see the Range Rover Electric and smaller Sport model later this year. Defender is set to launch its first EV, which could be an even bigger hit.

Range Rover and Defender prepare first electric SUVs

It’s been a long time coming, but Range Rover will finally take the covers off its first electric SUV later this year.

During an investor meeting on Tuesday, Jaguar Land Rover’s CEO, PB Balaji, revealed its updated business strategy to “unlock double-digit revenue growth” over the next few years, centered on the Range Rover and Defender brands.

While initial plans included phasing out vehicles powered by combustion engines, JLR’s updated plan now calls for more hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, in addition to EVs.

The Range Rover Electric and smaller sport EV will still launch later this year as planned, but both will remain on the company’s MLA platform with hybrid, PHEV, and EV powertrain options.

Balaji said the company will reveal more information about the first electric vehicle built on its EMA platform later this year.

The EMA platform was designed as a dedicated EV platform, but JLR is now planning to launch hybrids on it.

Meanwhile, Defender, JLR’s best-selling brand, is also preparing to launch its first electric SUV. The electric Defender will be the second vehicle based on the EMA platform, following the Range Rover, and will also be offered as a hybrid.

JLR recently entered into a partnership with Jeep’s parent company, Stellantis, to potentially produce and develop vehicles in the US.

Balaji confirmed during the investor update that the company will focus on the Defender brand to drive growth in the US. Balaji told investors:

Our aspiration, in the coming years, is to grow our US business to the size of the entire JLR business as it exists today.

Jaguar is still set to become an EV-only brand. The controversial four-door GT, Type -1, will also be revealed later this year.

JLR is taking the Range Rover Electric on a summer tour ahead of its official debut later this year. Last month, the first pre-production model, built in the UK, was shown at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The electric SUV will use a 117-kWh battery, which is expected to provide a driving range of at least 300 miles.

JLR previously revealed the Range Rover Electric will be equipped with a dual-motor AWD setup, delivering a combined 542 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to tow over 7,700 lbs (2.5 tons).

Built for on- and off-road driving, Range Rover’s EV will include several new features, such as single-pedal driving and a twin-chamber air suspension.

According to Autocar, which tested an early prototype, JLR aims for a price close to that of the V8 Range Rover Autobiography, at just under £150,000 ($200,900).

The Defender EV, expected to arrive as the Sport, will be smaller and likely more affordable based on the EMA platform.

JLR’s EMA platform is expected to support battery packs ranging from 70 to 90 kWh, which should provide a range of 300 to 320 miles in the smaller Defender Sport EV.

Thanks to its electric propulsion and flat battery pack design, the Defender EV will likely be even more capable than its internal combustion engine counterpart, thanks to its precise, instant torque delivery and lower center of gravity.

The Defender Electric will sit below the standard base Defender model, with prices expected to start at around $54,000 to $67,500 (£40,000 to £50,000).

Although it will be the brand’s smallest vehicle and first EV, Mark Cameron, global managing director of Defender, told Autocar earlier this year that the electric SUV will still feature the Defender DNA, or in his words, “epic, built-to-last, go anywhere capability.”