Land Rover Defender EV in the works; debut in 2025

Reports suggest Land Rover could introduce an all-electric version of the Discovery as well, considering both models share the same platform and production lines.

According to a media report, British marquee Jaguar Land Rover is said to be working on an all-electric version of its premium 4x4 offering, the Defender.

Reports state that JLR will offer the full-electric powertrains across all three versions; the 90, 110 & 130. The all-electric Defender will be introduced alongside the SUV's refreshed lineup in 2025, with customer deliveries said to take place in 2026.

Apart from the introduction of the all-electric versions, the 2025 Defender will also be underpinned by a new platform. The Defender facelift will switch from the current D7 architecture to a more advanced MLA Flex platform, which is capable of supporting both fully-electric powertrains and IC engines. The MLA Flex platform currently underpins the new-gen Range Rover & Range Rover Sport. Their all-electric versions are due in 2024.

Reports also state that although the Defender will get a new platform, the SUV is expected to largely retain its design & styling, receiving just a mid-cycle refresh. The new Defender is also expected to have similar dimensions as the current models. The same goes for the inside, with only minor updates to the infotainment system and a few larger screens expected.

The all-electric powertrain on the Defender is expected to boost the SUV's off-road performance by controlling the electric power delivery through software management, along with advanced torque vectoring. Also, the flat underside of the electric Defender could aid in better ground clearance.

There are no technical details of the Defender EV yet. However, Land Rover is expected to offer a 100 kWh battery pack on its 4x4 SUV, which should provide at least 483 km (300 miles) of driving range on a single charge.

Apart from the Defender EV, reports also suggested Land Rover could introduce an all-electric version of the Discovery as well, considering both models share the same platform and production lines.

Source: AutoExpress