Range Rover brings upcoming electric SUV to the Middle East for 'fitness test'

Range Rover has been criticized for its slow green transition in recent years. However, a big part of the reason why Range Rover took so long to develop its first electric SUV is actually understandable: the company wanted its EV to first and foremost retain the spirit of the Range Rover brand, which is the strength, durability, and ability to operate in harsh conditions that are true to the 'Discovery' brand.

'The electric Range Rover has to be a Range Rover first,' Lennard Hoonik, CEO of parent company JLR, asserted in an interview with Motortrend last summer.

That's easier said than done, but to do that, the upcoming full-size electric SUV will have to be able to do everything that the current Range Rovers can do. First, it will have to live up to the brand's reputation for being able to travel over any terrain, including deep water, and it will have to be able to withstand extreme temperatures. That's why the electric SUV is currently being tested in the sweltering heat of the United Arab Emirates, where temperatures can reach more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

'Electric Range Rover prototypes are currently being tested in some of the world's most extreme climates and undergoing the most intensive testing any Range Rover has ever undergone,' said JLR.

The SUV is built to tackle sand dunes up to 90m high, with its performance and efficiency being 'torturously' tested to ensure its powertrain remains reliably temperature-controlled. And all the while, the luxury SUV will have to continue to deliver 'maximum comfort in the customer cabin'.

JLR says the performance of the Range Rover electric SUV is 'excellent' at this stage of development, ahead of orders being accepted in 2025. Last month, the company revealed it had 48,000 pre-orders for the Range Rover Electric.

While details about the SUV are still scarce, reports suggest that the vehicle's 8,000-volt architecture promises fast charging times. There's also speculation that the Range Rover Electric could feature a four-motor setup, or one motor per wheel, similar to the setup found on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class EV.

And to ensure the Range Rover's luxury reputation, JLR says drivers will be able to customise driving modes to their liking as well as maximum comfort for the rear seats.