New Range Rover Electric Has More Power Than A Twin-Turbo V8

The Range Rover Electric is inching closer to production as Land Rover has announced prototypes have successfully completed their second season of cold weather testing in northern Europe. They racked up to 45,000 miles (72,420 km) validating various systems and pushing them to their limits.

Much of the focus was on the SUV’s thermal management system known as ThermAssist. It reduces heating energy consumption by up to 40% and aims to recover heat to warm the propulsion system or cabin in temperatures as low as 14°F (‑10°C). This helps to maximize range as well as efficiency.

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Besides testing out ThermAssist, the company worked on their air suspension and one-pedal driving mode. The latter is a common feature on EVs and allows drivers to only use the accelerator as the regenerative braking system kicks in as soon as you lift your foot off the ‘go pedal.’ However, Land Rover noted their application works with the Terrain Response system so it’s off-road ready.

The automaker went on to confirm the model has their first battery to be designed and built in‑house. The 117 kWh unit consists of 344 prismatic cells in a double‑stacked layout. The company added it has been “optimized for energy density, range and charging times” in order to deliver the “effortless performance and customary refinement expected of a Range Rover.”

Battery aside, the Range Rover EV has an all-wheel drive system with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics technology. It can distribute rear torque from 100% to 0% to prevent a loss of traction. Furthermore, the model can respond to slips and traction changes within 50 milliseconds, which is up to 100 times quicker than an ICE vehicle.

JLR Vehicle Engineering Director Matt Becker said, “By increasing its torsional stiffness and improving its responses, we’ve been able to maintain a customary Range Rover driving experience that feels familiar.” He added this was made possible by “marrying all the essential Range Rover elements with new and advanced technologies.”

While the company didn’t reveal too many details, Top Gear is reporting the model has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with a combined output of 542 hp (404 kW / 550 PS) and 627 lb-ft (849 Nm) of torque. If that pans out, the Range Rover Electric would be more powerful than the P530 variant, which has a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 developing 523 hp (390 kW / 530 PS) and 553 lb-ft (749 Nm) of torque.

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