Range Rover Goes Electric With a $200,000-Plus Price Tag

• Range Rover’s first electric SUV costs roughly $208,000 in Britain, although U.S. buyers get a lower $138,000 starting price.

• JLR spent about a decade developing the Electric, including an 18-month redesign after prototypes struggled with heat during extreme testing in Dubai.

• Two electric motors deliver 850Nm of torque, while a 118.5kWh battery offers up to 372 miles of WLTP range.

• With 900mm wading depth, 2,500kg towing capacity and 50-millisecond traction control, the Electric carries the brand’s off-road credentials into the EV era.

September 02, () — Range Rover has entered the electric SUV market with a vehicle that looks familiar but carries a very different powertrain and a starting price that crosses $200,000 in Britain.

British customers can order the new Range Rover Electric from £154,070 on the road, equivalent to roughly $208,000. Higher specifications push the price considerably further. The long-wheelbase SV Black costs £225,240, taking it beyond $300,000, while Range Rover offers its most exclusive Ultra versions on application.

American buyers face a lower starting price. Range Rover lists the Electric from $138,000 MSRP, excluding destination and delivery charges. So, the $200,000-plus figure applies to the British entry price, not the model’s global starting price.
But getting here took years.

Range Rover announced the Electric in December 2023, after spending roughly a decade developing its first battery-powered model.

Engineers continued testing long after the announcement, pushing prototypes through demanding conditions to make sure the new powertrain could deliver the performance expected from the name.

Dubai presented one of the toughest tests. Engineers repeatedly drove prototypes up and down the 300-foot Big Red sand dune, where the original motor setup struggled with heat during repeated runs.

JLR eventually switched to permanent-magnet motors and redesigned parts of the electric drive system. Auto Express reports that the changes added about 18 months to the development programme.

“The defining characteristic of Range Rover Electric is its ability to perform across every surface,” said Matt Becker, JLR’s vehicle engineering director.

Becker said the team also focused on preserving the model’s “effortless comfort and refinement” across different driving conditions.

That approach explains why the Electric looks so much like its combustion-powered siblings. Range Rover kept the familiar upright shape, high driving position and understated exterior, while making targeted changes around the grille and bodywork to accommodate the electric drivetrain and improve aerodynamics.

Underneath that familiar shape, however, sits a very different machine.

Power, Range and Off-Road Capability

Two permanent-magnet electric motors deliver up to 550PS and 850Nm of torque, sending the SUV from 0 to 60mph in 4.3 seconds. A 118.5kWh battery provides up to 372 miles of WLTP range, while Range Rover estimates up to 333 miles in real-world driving.

Charging should also make long-distance use less demanding. An 800-volt electrical system accepts up to 350kW of DC charging. On a compatible rapid charger, Range Rover says the battery can move from 10% to 80% in about 22 minutes. Ten minutes of charging can add up to 137 miles of WLTP range.

Beyond the road, Range Rover has worked to preserve the off-road ability that has defined the brand for decades.

The Electric can wade through 900mm of water and tow up to 2,500kg. Its Integrated Traction Management system can adjust motor torque within 50 milliseconds, helping the SUV respond quickly as the surface beneath it changes. A single-pedal driving system can also manage gradients of up to 45 degrees.

“The responsiveness and precision of the new driveline control systems, enabled by electric propulsion, perfectly support this,” Becker said.

Interest has already built around the model before deliveries begin. Auto Express reports that JLR has received registrations of interest from around 80,000 potential customers, with more than two-thirds new to the Range Rover brand. About one in five of those potential buyers already owns an electric vehicle.

For Martin Limpert, managing director of Range Rover, the extended development period formed part of the company’s strategy rather than a compromise. He described the Electric as the product of “a decade of considered engineering and technological development” and said the additional testing aimed to make it “genuinely the most accomplished Range Rover ever.”

Customers will ultimately decide how well that promise translates to everyday driving. For now, Range Rover has brought its flagship SUV into the electric age without abandoning the design, luxury, or off-road capability that built the brand.