Charging up the cat: JLR's local boss talks electrification

Monday, 27 June 2022

Jaguar is readying a full charge into electric power by 2025.

Whether you like it or not, electrification is happening. We’re seeing every major brand commit to having a percentage of their fleet powered by electricity within the next decade or so, with some going a step further and ditching combustion entirely.

Jaguar Land Rover is part of the latter group, with Jaguar set to go fully electric by 2025. Land Rover has softer targets, with six pure-electric variants coming over the next five years, co-existing with combustion-powered variants, before going all-EV by 2030.

Jaguar will go electric before Land Rover, but only just.

Ultimately, as per the ‘Reimagine’ business plan, JLR wants to become a net-zero carbon business by 2039, with a “dramatically beautiful new portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies” coming to support the goal. That includes the factories and supply lines as well as the vehicles.

The British company has set aside £2.5 billion (NZ$4.89b) for electrification, including a brand-new platform designed specifically for electric vehicles from both Jaguar and Land Rover. Land Rover will also use the platform currently deployed in the just-released Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, which supports mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains.

The Jaguar I-Pace was our top EV back in 2019.

* The latest Range Rover could get a hydrogen-powered option

Jaguar Land Rover managing director of the Asia-Pacific region, Alistair Scott.

* Jaguar to go entirely electric from 2025

The new Range Rover has a plug-in hybrid powertrain capable of 100km per charge.

Speaking to Stuff, JLR’s managing director of the Asia-Pacific region, Alistair Scott, confirmed that we can expect a fully electric Range Rover by 2024, and the elimination of diesel will begin in 2026. And, given that 2025 timeframe, that means every Jaguar model on sale today will be replaced or ditched entirely.

The potential for the electric vehicle market in New Zealand is huge, according to Scott. “A lot of people underestimated the transition… and in many markets, it’s incentive-driven, here in New Zealand there’s certainly demand for it.

“There's a big psychological change that many people didn't expect.”

Three years ago, Scott said nobody wanted a plug-in hybrid Range Rover, largely due to the fact it only offered a range of around 30km. The new model can do up to 100km on electric power.

And electrification in New Zealand is only gaining in momentum. “Customers want the existing DNA that they’ve had on their ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles to be transformed into a blended product,” said Steve Kenchington, local boss of JLR’s distributor, Motorcorp.

“And I think the technology has come so far now that all of a sudden, it's not no compromise, it's actually could be deemed significantly better… in terms of providing so much benefit. Customers want to be able to tow, or go off-road… They want to use their vehicles for multiple purposes, and they didn’t feel that they could do that previously [with electrified powertrains].

“There is no compromisable effect.”

He went on to say that by bridging the gap between ICE and full-electric with PHEV vehicles, we can allow the national charging infrastructure (including the power companies) to expand and improve before leaning fully into EVs.

As for upcoming vehicles, we already know the range-topping XJ will not be returning, at least not in the foreseeable future. It was going to be an all-electric model, but didn’t make the cut for JLR’s new plan, despite being well into development. This is due to the segment becoming too unprofitable, which is understandable in this world of SUV mania.

Scott confirmed that the XE and XF will not be continuing as well, saying that Jaguar is aiming to move out of the volume production territory and into the modern luxury platform. That also means Jaguar won’t be introducing anything to take advantage of the $80k Clean Car discount cap.

“We will be going back to a niche element, for sure. It will be very much more a curated and bespoke product, but it's going to be very unique in the marketplace.' Scott couldn’t tell us what new things Jaguar is working on, but assured us that they will be special.

Another casualty of the electrification strategy will be the F-Type. The V8 coupe will be phased out over the next few years, and at this stage, has no replacement lined up. Of course, anything can happen and Jaguar could well introduce a new electric sports car after 2025… I-Type, perhaps?