Range Rover has finally crossed into the electric age, unveiling its first fully electric model after a one-year delay — and placing it firmly at the luxury end of the market with a starting price of £154,070.
Built around the same imposing SUV character that has defined the marque for decades, the new electric Range Rover represents a significant shift for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), moving one of Britain’s most recognisable luxury vehicles away from petrol and diesel power.
The vehicle is expected to be manufactured at JLR’s historic Solihull plant, where Range Rovers have been produced since 1970. Its electric propulsion technology will be supported by the company’s facility in Wolverhampton, which produces battery packs and electric drive units.
JLR says the project has involved extensive preparation. Some 10,500 employees received additional training, while the vehicle underwent testing equivalent to travelling around the world 38 times.
Performance remains central to the Range Rover identity. The electric SUV can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 4.3 seconds, while the company describes it as combining greater refinement with the capability expected from the brand.
But the launch also highlights an uncomfortable contradiction at the heart of luxury motoring.
Electric power eliminates the vehicle’s direct fossil-fuel emissions, offering a cleaner alternative to conventional Range Rovers. Yet its enormous size raises wider questions about road safety, energy use and the environmental cost of producing and operating very large SUVs.
For customers willing to pay the price, however, personalisation remains almost limitless. Range Rover’s commissioning service offers bespoke colours, finishes, materials, colour combinations and details such as personalised embroidery.
The timing could also prove important for JLR itself. After a difficult period involving falling profits, US tariffs and disruption following a major cyber-attack, the electric Range Rover gives the company something positive to showcase.
After a decade of engineering and technological development, Range Rover has made its first decisive move into electric luxury.
The question now is whether customers will see the future of the SUV — or simply an electric version of the past.
