JLR grew PHEV sales more than any other car brand in Europe last year
In 2021, the automaker revealed that it will launch six fully electric Land Rovers and two electric Jaguars by 2026. However, during a recent earnings call, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell revealed the number of electric Land Rovers the launch was reduced to four. The first of these will be the Range Rover Electric kit, arriving later this year, with the electric Range Rover Sport coming soon after its launch.
“We’re a little slower than we said three years ago,” Mardell said Autonews Europe. “We’re taking our time to ensure that we bring to market the best vehicles we’ve ever developed.”
After the launch of these two models, there will be a pair of smaller electric cars using the company’s new EMA platform. Limited details are available about the duo, but they could potentially function as electric successors to the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar. A Defender EV is also in the pipeline, with the firm simply announcing that it will land before 2030. Jaguar will be relaunched in 2025 with a new four-door GT EV, followed by a second electric car.
While the brand’s focus is still on BEVs, Mardell noted that demand for them has started to cool, and as such, JLR is working to make more plug-in hybrids available in the interim.
“What we’ve observed from other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) is that the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) race is starting to encounter some challenges,” Mardell said. “The adoption of the PHEV was quite a surprise. In the meantime, we are working hard to make more PHEVs available on the market.”
JLR increased its sales of PHEV more than any other car manufacturer in Europe last year, selling 45,224 units, an increase of 68%. Ultimately, the brand wants them to account for 60% of all its BEV sales by 2030, before rising to 100% by 2036.