Claimed to be uniquely tuned to reward drivers, with a suite of advanced chassis technologies, Range Rover Sport Electric offers further enhanced visceral performance and the rewarding dynamics expected from Range Rover Sport, alongside the same unmistakably muscular form, peerless refinement and all-terrain capability.
Range Rover Sport Electric features are claimed to be uniquely tuned Intelligent Traction Management, virtual all-wheel drive, Dynamic Air Suspension and electronic Active Roll Control (eARC) 1, which can apply up to 1,400Nm of force across each axle for maximum composure at all times, as well as Twin Valve Dampers and Adaptive Dynamics 2, which monitors 100 parameters 500 times per second to provide greater control of body roll and pitch when cornering and braking.
The combination of these advanced technologies ensured absolute command over the unpredictable Carrara surfaces, which ranged from polished marble to deep coatings of fine marble dust. All-wheel-steering enabled Range Rover Sport Electric to sweep through the mine’s tight hairpin turns without the need to reverse.
To conquer the sheer slopes, Range Rover Sport Electric deployed its 850Nm of torque, the most of any Range Rover Sport. Torque ramps up 50 per cent faster than Range Rover Electric. The 550PS powertrain, with performance to match the P540 V8-powered Range Rover Sport (0-100 km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds) when Dynamic Launch Mode is engaged, then accelerated the near-silent performance SUV to the top of its electric climb.
This was the final stop on the vehicle’s global testing and development progamme, which also included the Magarigawa Club’s private track near Tokyo, Japan, for the first time. In addition to tuning the unique chassis setup, Range Rover’s engineers developed the sound of Range Rover Sport Electric to emphasise its driving character. Its sound design layers simple tones that blur the lines between music and engineering. The distinctive acoustic signature encourages drivers to engage with the various drive modes of Range Rover Sport Electric.
The first ever all-electric Range Rover Sport, which has a 61 per cent stiffer body structure and 73mm lower centre of gravity than Range Rover Sport plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) models, will be built in Solihull, UK, on the same production lines as PHEV, petrol and diesel versions. It is powered by a 118.5kWh lithium-ion battery with high-power density in a high-strength aluminium enclosure, and features two 260kW electric motors, all seamlessly incorporated into the MLA-Flex architecture. An advanced 800V electrical architecture provides fast, adaptable split-charging capability.
Range Rover Sport Electric is available from €123,830 for the 450 PS Dynamic SE model. For serviceability and maintenance, each Range Rover Sport Electric comes with a Battery Digital Twin which allows Range Rover to proactively maintain clients’ vehicles via JLR’s leading Software over the Air capability. Range Rover Sport Electric’s battery comes with an eight-year or 160,000 km warranty.
Martin Limpert, Managing Director, Range Rover, said: “Range Rover Sport is the most dynamic expression of Range Rover. With Range Rover Sport Electric we’re taking that spirit of visceral engagement and desire into the electric age. It is first and foremost a Range Rover Sport. The seamlessly-integrated electric propulsion system means we’ve been able to unlock new levels of responsiveness and precision, with a uniquely tuned chassis set-up, performance-focused torque delivery, and distinctive sound profiles that ensure our clients enjoy the very best driver engagement in a sporting luxury SUV.”
Matt Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director, Range Rover, said: “Range Rover Sport Electric represents an evolution in the dynamic character of Range Rover Sport, with an even greater emphasis on driver engagement and sporting response. The stiffer architecture and lower centre of gravity, combined with precise torque control and advanced chassis technologies, creates a vehicle with sharper responses, greater agility and increased confidence. It feels smaller, more planted and more responsive than you would imagine. All without sacrificing refinement, comfort or breadth of capability.”
