Range Rover goes electric: New £154k battery-powered SUV unveiled - and we've already driven it

The Range Rover is looking to ditch its gas-guzzling 'Chelsea Tractor' reputation as the original luxury SUV becomes available with electric power for the very first time.The Range Rover Electric, unveiled today, promises 'a new era of enhanced refinement and capability' – and it won't come cheap.Prices start from £154,070, a near-£50,000 mark-up on the entry-level diesel version, and rise to almost a quarter of a million pounds for the range-topping zero-emission model.While it looks almost indistinguishable from the combustion-engined Range Rover, it is underpinned by an 800-volt architecture, industry-leading battery technology and two powerful electric motors.The result? Performance to match the V8 petrol Rangie, including the same 900mm wading depth and off-road capability, but with even greater refinement and a 333-mile real-world driving range.Bosses expect it to be popular, too. Range Rover managing director Martin Limpert says there is already a 'waiting list' of 80,000 customers globally ready to place an order.The Daily Mail and This is Money were given a behind-the-scenes preview of the new Range Rover more than a month ago, and we spent a brief period behind the wheel of a near-production prototype... Not a gas-guzzling Chelsea Tractor anymore: The new Range Rover Electric costs from £154k and promises to go 333 miles between charges in the real world. We've - briefly - driven it... With the original Range Rover debuting in 1970, the arrival of electric power represents the biggest shift in the nameplate's 56-year history It looks the same... but that's exactly the pointEven to a trained eye, it will be difficult to tell the Range Rover Electric apart from the current fifth-generation 'L460' model powered by a petrol or diesel engine.And that's entirely intentional.As the industry edges ever closer to the 2030 ban on the sale of new combustion-engined cars, JLR is keen to retain consistency across one of its most successful products.With around 140,000 full-size Range Rovers and smaller Range Rover Sports delivered globally every year, and the average buyer spending £136,000, the British luxury car maker is understandably reluctant to tamper with a winning formula.Aside from a blanked-off grille and a new wheel design to improve aerodynamics and maximise driving range, you're unlikely to identify the electric version on looks alone.The only other visual difference is its redesigned floor, and you'll probably only notice that if you're unfortunate enough to be run over by one.JLR says some 80,000 prospective buyers have already registered their interest in the Range Rover Electric.Interestingly, most are not expected to be existing Range Rover owners simply swapping a petrol or diesel model for a battery-powered equivalent.According to Limpert, around 70 per cent of customers are forecast to be newcomers to the brand. And only one in five currently drive an EV. To the trained eye, it will be difficult to tell the Range Rover Electric apart from the current fifth-generation 'L460' model powered by a petrol or diesel engine. And that's intentional... Aside from a blanked-off grille and a new wheel design to improve aerodynamics and maximise driving range, you're unlikely to identify the electric version on looks aloneWhat's powering the EV?The Range Rover Electric has arrived almost a year later than JLR originally intended.That's despite sharing the same MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture) platform as the existing petrol, diesel and hybrid Range Rover, which was engineered from the outset to accommodate every drivetrain type, including fully electric power.So why the delay?Because the electric model had to look, drive and feel like a 'true Range Rover' without compromise, Limpert told us.In pursuit of that goal, engineers changed tactics during its development.Early prototypes used an induction motor at the front and a permanent-magnet motor at the rear. The advantage of this arrangement was the ability to switch off the front motor at lower speeds to improve efficiency and extend driving range.However, engineers encountered overheating issues with the induction motor during the kind of extreme driving scenarios expected of the brand's flagship SUV.As a result, JLR switched to 260kW permanent-magnet motors on both axles around two-thirds of the way into the prototype programme, which reportedly covered enough miles to travel around the world 38 times and involved 250,000 hours of virtual testing.The final production version produces 543bhp and 850Nm of torque, giving it more pulling power than the V8-powered P530 petrol model.Thanks to a bespoke traction management system, the Range Rover Electric's electronic control system can react to wheel slip in just 50 milliseconds, which JLR says is 100 times faster than in its combustion-powered equivalents.The company insists that means there is 'no compromise to legendary Range Rover all-terrain drive capability'. The Range Rover Electric uses an industry-leading double-stacked 118.5kWh battery pack. With two powerful electric motors and a weight of almost 3 tonnes, it should still cover 333 miles between chargesPower is supplied by a huge double-stacked 118.5kWh battery pack mounted beneath the floor.In the official Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure test cycle, it delivers a claimed range of up to 372 miles.Under real-world driving conditions, however, JLR says owners should expect a more realistic figure of around 333 miles between charges.Recharging the vast battery is also relatively quick. Using a DC rapid charger, replenishing it from 10 to 80 per cent takes just 22 minutes.And plugging in for only ten minutes can add up to 137 miles of additional driving range, according to the company.The battery's performance is boosted by JLR's ThermAssist heat management system, one of more than 300 patented features incorporated into the new Range Rover Electric. The battery pack also gets a segment-leading eight-year/100,000-mile warranty. Recharging the vast battery is also relatively quick. Using a DC rapid charger, replenishing it from 10-80% takes just 22 minutes Plugging into a rapid public charging device for only ten minutes can add up to 137 miles of additional driving rangeWhat's it like inside? Much like the exterior, the cabin of the Range Rover Electric is almost indistinguishable from that of its petrol and diesel-powered siblings.That includes the retention of the transmission tunnel running through the centre of the cabin floor.Bosses say customers wanted the feature to remain for the sake of consistency with existing models, while JLR has also put the space to use by housing the battery electric module that manages charging.The only major visible difference is the gear selector, which now features an 'S' mode that activates stronger regenerative braking and enables one-pedal driving. Motoring editor Rob Hull had a brief spell behind the wheel of the new Range Rover Electric. Despite a short drive, it was enough to highlight some of the car's major benefitsHow does it drive?Our time behind the wheel was limited to less than half an hour at JLR's engineering centre and proving grounds in Gaydon, Warwickshire.Yet it took only a few minutes to reveal some of the key advantages of adding electric power to the flagship luxury SUV.While JLR has yet to confirm an official 0-62mph time, expect it to be in the region of 4.3 seconds, putting it on a par with the V8-powered Range Rover SV.However, it doesn't deliver the neck-snapping surge associated with some high-performance EVs.That's because engineers have deliberately softened the power delivery to mimic the character of a large-capacity V8 petrol engine, providing the effortless, linear build-up of speed buyers in this segment expect.It's also noticeably quieter than any Range Rover I've driven before.JLR says it's seven decibels quieter than the V8 version. What does that mean in the real world? Think the difference between watching television in your living room and reading a book in a library. And that's before active noise-cancelling technology is And that's before active noise-cancelling technology is woven into the digital EQ.Perhaps the most impressive achievement, though, is the way it disguises its bulk.Even with a giant battery pack beneath the floor and a kerb weight that's likely to push the needle close to three tonnes (though JLR has yet to confirm an official figure), it never feels cumbersome on the road.Thanks to the battery pack being buried within the chassis, the Range Rover Electric has an 88mm-lower centre of gravity than its combustion-powered counterparts.Combined with a new twin-rate air suspension set-up and revised adaptive dampers, the result is a luxury SUV that feels surprisingly agile, with remarkably little pitch and roll under hard acceleration, braking or cornering.Limpert says it is 'genuinely the most accomplished Range Rover ever'. And after a brief spell at the controls, I'm inclined to believe him for now.But there's no overlooking the fact that many buyers will see the range as a disappointment. With Mercedes, Volvo and BMW already boasting 500-mille EVs, and various brands claiming over 400 miles between charges from their battery cars, an official 372 miles looks modest in comparison. There's around a £26,500 premium to go electric. The EV starts at just over £154,000 for the EV550 Autobiography SWB - the same trim with a diesel engine costs £127,500How much will it cost?First customer deliveries are now expected during the early months of 2027.Like conventionally powered Range Rovers, the electric version will be offered in both standard and long-wheelbase forms, with familiar trim levels including Autobiography, SV, SV Black and the ultra-exclusive SV Ultra. The latter is so exclusive that JLR still won't disclose its asking price.Prices start from £154,070, almost £50,000 more than the cheapest diesel Range Rover, or around £26,500 more than an equivalent Autobiography model. Those wanting a long-wheelbase version will need significantly deeper pockets.The least expensive LWB model is the EV550 SV, which carries a hefty £215,670 price tag. First customer deliveries are now expected during the early months of 2027. Range Rover claims to have already received over 80,000 global expressions of interest in the EV Assembly of the Range Rover Electric will take place at the same Solihull factory where petrol and diesel examples are producedThe Range Rover Electric will be assembled at JLR's Solihull factory and, from late 2027, will use battery packs produced at parent company Tata's new gigafactory in Bridgwater, Somerset.Its electric motors will be manufactured at JLR's facility in Wolverhampton.'Range Rover Electric is the result of a decade of considered engineering and technological development, setting a new benchmark for The Original Luxury SUV,' Limpert said.'Electric propulsion is perfectly suited to the exquisite refinement of Range Rover, elevating the sense of calm and secluded sanctuary for occupants.' 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