Range Rover BEV: The Range Rover goes electric!

We knew that the all-electric Ranger Rover BEV has been in the making for a while and the electric version of the luxury SUV will also be coming to India. The Range Rover BEV will be available in both the standard and long wheelbase variants and we had the chance to get a closer look at the platform and technology employed in making this electric luxury SUV, along with a passenger ride experience at the JLR’s proving ground in the UK.

Range Rover BEV styling and platform

The Range Rover electric is underpinned by the MLA-Flex architecture that also underpins the current generation combustion-powered and plug-in hybrid Range Rovers, and as a result, the styling and dimensions of the Range Rover BEV are identical to that of the ICE and PHEV models. Since the MLA-Flex architecture is an electric-ready architecture, there’s no impact on the space or practicality with the Range Rover electric. There’s no frunk or storage compartment under the long bonnet like on other electric vehicles, but this where the power electronics are housed. The platform will also allow the electric Range Rover to be assembled on the same production line as the ICE or PHEV models.

In terms of differentiators when it comes to the styling, you get a blanked-out front grille, and the 22-inch wheels (same size as the combustion Range Rover) get a different design. But if you’re looking at the BEV from a distance, you won’t be able to differentiate it from an ICE-powered Range Rover, and this has been done for a reason. Range Rover does not want to purely focus on the electric front, but the brand wants to offer multiple powertrain options with their luxury SUV, providing customers with the freedom of choice. JLR India says that around 400 customers have registered their expression of interest for the electric Range Rover for when it does come to India. And the electric Range Rover will be coming to India, both in the standard and long wheelbase variants .

Range Rover BEV powertrain and performance

The Range Rover BEV comes with a 118kWh battery pack which gets 344 prismatic cells and makes use of the NMC chemistry. The electric Range Rover also gets two electric drive units, which make use of the silicon carbide inverter tech. These electric drive units or EDUs produce 20 per cent more torque and are 24 per cent more efficient than the previous JLR EDUs. The range or performance figures for the Range Rover electric have not yet been revealed, but the SUV produces 542bhp (550 PS) of power and 850Nm of torque. You also get virtual all-wheel-drive, a single-pedal driving mode and Intelligent Torque Management (ITM) which makes torque adjustments on low traction surfaces in 5 milliseconds.

Range Rover BEV initial impressions

Editor Sirish Chandran was invited to JLR’s proving grounds in Gaydon, UK to experience the potential, power and the capability of the Range Rover BEV with a passenger ride experience. The luxury SUV comes with switchable, twin-chamber air suspension and during the passenger ride, the editor’s key takeaway was that the Range Rover BEV felt properly tied down in terms of the suspension movements. The heave-ho (vertical movement) that you get in most electric cars is well managed in the Range Rover electric and over one of the bumpy patches where a dip was present in the road, the suspension didn’t compress too hard, with the rebound damping being well sorted too. The editor noted that the suspension of the electric Range Rover felt slightly better tied down than the V8 Range Rover that he drove coming into Gaydon, and the electric Range Rover also comes with 5-channel active road noise cancellation, making this the quietest Range Rover ever. With the way that the power and torque has been metered out, the performance of the Range Rover electric feels effortless.

That said, these are only our initial impressions of the Range Rover BEV from the passenger seat, and we will be able to offer more detailed impressions on the SUV once we get behind the wheel and drive it properly. The BEV is claimed to be the best Range Rover ever, both in terms of the refinement as well as off-road ability – but that is something we can only verify when we get behind the wheel.