Range Rover launches first fully electric model

Land Rover has lifted the veil on its first fully electric flagship, the Range Rover Electric, and the numbers read like a performance car masquerading as a luxury SUV. Built on the same Solihull line that has produced the gasoline and hybrid versions for decades, the EV starts at $138,000 in the United States and carries an EPA‑rated 333‑mile driving range – a figure that already places it ahead of many dedicated electric crossovers.

Under the skin, the model hides a pair of permanent‑magnet motors, one per axle, that together push out 542 horsepower and a staggering 627 pound‑feet of torque. The acceleration is startling: 0‑60 mph in as little as 4.3 seconds and a 50‑to‑75‑mph sprint in just 2.7 seconds, numbers that rival the brand’s V8‑powered predecessors. Yet the electric powertrain does not sacrifice the Range Rover’s off‑road pedigree. Integrated Traction Management can modulate motor speed within 50 milliseconds, and its Intelligent Driveline Dynamics system can shift rear‑torque distribution from 0 % to 100 % in an instant, preserving grip on loose surfaces. A single‑pedal mode lets drivers crawl up 33‑degree inclines or descend 45‑degree slopes using only the accelerator, and the vehicle still fords up to 35 inches of water.

The battery pack is a double‑stacked 118.5 kWh lithium‑ion assembly built from 344 prismatic cells and housed in an 800‑volt architecture. Plugged into a 350‑kW public DC fast charger, the pack jumps from 10 % to 80 % in roughly 22 minutes, gaining about 125 miles of range in a ten‑minute burst.

From a strategic angle, the launch signals Land Rover’s decisive pivot toward electrification without abandoning the rugged image that defines its brand. The base price of $138,000 already eclipses many premium EVs, and Bloomberg’s reporting suggests top trims could breach the $200,000 barrier, confining the model to affluent buyers who still demand genuine off‑road capability. The market response will test whether luxury‑focused EVs can sustain high profit margins while delivering the utility expected of a Range Rover.