Range Rover has been testing its new electric SUV in the Arabian desert in what it’s calling ‘Dynamic Desert Climbs.’ Which sounds like an excellent excuse to take it dune bashing for a few evenings.
No problem with that, of course, because the experiments include scaling the ‘Big Red’ dunes located right in the center of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert, with some standing as tall as 91 meters (or the height of the Statue of Liberty).
The cleaner, greener new Rangie is then tested and required to ascend these dunes up to five times per test without showing any drop in performance, with a particular focus on its new thermal management system’s ability to keep working efficiently.
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We should mention that temperatures frequently exceed 50 degrees Celcius out there (with 90% humidity), making Al Badayer the perfect natural testing spot. And yes, we feel sticky just thinking about the heat, too.
Built atop the new Modular Longitudinal Architecture with a dual-electric motor powertrain, four-wheel drive, and an advanced terrain response system, the electric SUV claimed to be on par with the ICE versions where output is considered, even surpassing them in some quarters.
For some perspective, the current Range Rover SV packs a 606hp mild-hybrid V8 that’s good for 0-100kph in 4.5sec and a top speed of 261kph. It’ll be interesting to see just how closely the EV gets, considering the added infrastructure will likely drastically increase its weight from that of a small island to that of a small moon.
Another interesting feature is a new type of torque management system that more effectively manages wheel slip. Apparently, it cuts the torque reaction time at each wheel from 0.1sec to a 0.001sec. Because the former is already such a painstakingly long time.
Range Rover has also previously tested the Electric in temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius around the Arctic Circle, so we’re expecting it to be just as good at the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ mantra its combustion-powered sibling does so well. Range Rover is expected to reveal more details about this EV in the near future.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
