A few years ago, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said it will go all in on electric vehicle by the mid-2020s. However, the slower demand of EVs in primary markets meant the company has had to regroup and rethink its electrification strategy.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Adrian Mardell, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, told the publication that it will be scaling back on battery electric vehicle launches. Instead, it will shift its focus on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
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Mardell said that the number of pure electric Land Rover models to be launched in the near future is down to four. Back in 2021, the company said it will roll out six electric models by 2026. The CEO admitted that the cooling demand of EVs is the reason for the British automaker to shift its course. That said, the company is still committed to going all-electric, but will spread it out the electric model introductions further apart.
On the flipside, JLR’s plug-in hybrid sales are soaring. ‘PHEV acceptance has been quite a surprise. We are working hard in the interim time to make more PHEVs available to the marketplace,’ said Mardell.
A good chunk of Land Rovers feature plug-in hybrid technology. Examples of these include the Defender, Range Rover Sport, and the full-sized Range Rover. Per Automotive News Europe, JLR sold more PHEVs than any other automaker in Europe.
The first full electric Range Rover is set to be revealed later this year. It will be followed by the Range Rover Sport EV a year after. Two more EV Land Rover products are expected, likely to be battery-powered versions of the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar. As for Jaguar, a four-door grant tourer will arrive soon, followed by a yet-to-be-determined model.
