Fully electric Sport will have a reported range of 530 km and produce a supposed 398kW/850Nm.
Prototype Sport Electric made its first showing at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed. Picture: JLR
Ahead of world debut later this year, JLR has provided the first official preview of the all-electric Range Rover based on the Sport.
Powertrains for all
Showed in the run-up to the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, the newcomer, which will be called Range Rover Sport Electric, will form part of the current third generation model’s most extensive mid-life facelift to date.
Reported to be followed at a later stage by the next generation Velar, which will become wholly electric, the EV Sport will be sold alongside the existing petrol, diesel and mild-hybrid variants instead of replacing them.
“This model will redefine performance SUVs again later this year, combining the refinement and immediate performance of electric drive while further elevating the unmistakable character of Range Rover Sport our clients already know and love,” Range Rover brand Managing Director, Martin Limpert, said in a statement.
What to expect?
Appearing near identical to the combustion engined Sport on first glance, the Electric has a sealed grille and no exhaust outlets, but no other exterior details, for the moment, to differentiate itself from its combustion powered siblings.
Up front, the Sport Electric, according to reports, will derive motivation from a 118.5-kWh battery pack powering a pair of electric motors.
A setup that makes the Electric all-wheel drive from the start, the claimed power output is 398 kW and torque reportedly around the 850 Nm mark.
Although based on the same MLA platform as the normal Sport, for the Electric, the architecture has been upgraded to an 800-volt configuration, which will allow DC charging up to a supposed 350 kW.
However, the Sport Electric, which will rival the all-new BMW iX5, is projected to have a range of 530 km, well done on its rival’s claimed 845 km.
More soon
A date for its world debut is still to be confirmed, expectations are that more details will soon be released, including whether or not JLR South Africa will see fit to bring it to the local market.
