Back in April of this year, Land Rover announced that they were testing their new Range Rover Electric with the end goal being to "lead the way for electric propulsion capability, refinement, and luxury travel."
The Range Rover Electric takes Sweden's frozen lakes
The first tests put the battery and Electric Drive Unit (EDU) to the test in the -40°F (–40°C) temperatures of Sweden's frozen lakes. Land Rover states that this not only tests the functionality of the drivetrain in extreme cold but also ensures that the car retains its all-terrain and all-weather capabilities.
Land Rover stated that rather than solely using an ABS module for traction, the Range Rover Electric uses in-house software to distribute wheel slip prevention duties to each individual electric drive control unit. This reportedly reduces each wheel's torque reaction time from around 100 milliseconds to 1 millisecond.
The dunes of the UAE were the next testing grounds
Last month, the testing moved to the opposite extreme in the United Arab Emirates. Even in conditions up to 122°F (50°C) and 90% humidity, Land Rover reported that the Range Rover Electric was matching or surpassing the off-road capabilities of its gas-powered siblings. This was again all thanks to Land Rover's new traction control system that helped it survive Sweden's frozen landscape.
Adding on to its supposed off-road capabilities is its wading depth of 33.8″, beating the much bigger GMC Hummer EV's wading depth of 32″.
At the end of October, the Range Rover Electric had over 48,000 people on the waitlist. That doesn't necessarily mean those customers will translate into buyers though. Just look at how the Cybertruck did with that.
The Range Rover Electric is supposed to hit dealerships sometime in 2025. A smaller Range Rover Sport Electric will also follow in its footsteps.
Luxury cars make the most sense as EVs
Electrification might be a hot topic, but I think it fits best in luxurious cars whose engine sound was never their core focus.
Think of the traditional Rolls Royce or Bentley that is made to float down the road with a chauffeur at the wheel and minimum outside distractions. The money those companies put into developing adequate sound deadening to keep the engine sound under the hood could be saved with electric motors.
Granted, a Bentley Continental GT or the performance-focused Range Rover Sport SV are different stories. Those models were meant to be loud, rowdy, and fast. For the standard ones though, electric motors are fine if not beneficial.
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