2024 Range Rover Electric gets its skates on

The 2024 Range Rover Electric has passed the mid-point of its development program and, to celebrate, it’s now been shown in prototype form undergoing winter testing in the Arctic Circle.

We’ve seen a glimpse of the first all-electric Range Rover before – in the form of cryptic close-up teasers of the EV’s tail-light, wheel centre cap, grille and little else – but these fresh images reveal the entire body and we’re thrilled to say it looks almost identical to the combustion-powered Rangie, albeit with a more enclosed nose and a charging port behind the right rear door.

According to JLR, prototypes have been dispatched around the world to some of the most extreme climates imaginable to ensure the inaugural battery-electric Range Rover is as versatile and dependable as its predecessors.

The British brand says winter testing has already proved the EV powertrain yields more grip, stability, finesse and performance on ‘low-grip surfaces’, thanks to a new-generation traction control system that can react up to 100 times faster than a traditional ABS-based system because it’s linked directly to the drive motors.

The entirety of the Range Rover EV’s powertrain – battery, transmission, motors, power controllers, etc – is being developed and produced in-house by JLR, which will likely make it expensive, and the company is confident it will result in the “quietest and most refined Range Rover ever created”.

“Range Rover with electric power – means customary Range Rover luxury, refinement and capability plus near-silent fully electric propulsion; with effortlessly smooth and relaxed journeys,” said JLR product engineering executive director Thomas Mueller.

“To ensure we leave no stone uncovered, we are well underway with our physical testing and development programme, all designed at pushing Range Rover Electric to the extremes to ensure its capability remains unparalleled when it reaches you.”

JLR has previously promised V8-like performance from its inaugural EV, along with an impressive 850mm wading capability and an 800V electrical architecture that will support ultra-fast charging at more than 300kW.

Pre-orders opened in December 2023, but JLR is yet to communicate official reveal or release dates for the Range Rover Electric after previously indicating it would debut in 2024.

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