New Range Rover Sport Electric spotted in Germany preparing for 2025 launch
The electric RR Sport will be one of four all-electric Range Rovers to arrive by 2026
The Range Rover Sport is about to gain a pure electric option and we’ve caught the luxury EV undergoing testing as it gears up for a 2025 launch. It’ll be the second all-electric Range Rover model, after the full-fat electric Range Rover arrives next year.
When the current-generation Range Rover Sport arrived in 2022 it gained the firm’s new MLA-Flex platform. This flexible architecture not only allows for mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but all-electric too - as we’ll soon see in the sizable form of the Range Rover Electric.
Two other all-electric Range Rovers will also arrive by 2026, acting as EV replacements for the current Evoque and Velar. Those two will be based on the Electric Modular Architecture (EMA) and will be built at the firm’s plant in Halewood, Merseyside. The larger MLA-Flex cars, meanwhile, will be built alongside their petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid alternatives at Solihull.
The all-electric Range Rovers shouldn’t look too different from their internal-combustion engined counterparts - judging from these latest spy shots. Aside from a new, more covered grille, the Sport Electric prototype we spied looks unchanged from the front. Around to the side we see the car rides on a set of 22-inch alloy wheels and inside there’s a full roll cage - suggesting this car is being tested at the Nurburgring race circuit.
It’s all standard fare to the rear as well, though the protruding exhaust tips you get in the petrol and diesel powered models are understandably not on show here.
The MLA platform was designed with pure-electric power in mind so we don’t expect the new battery pack to intrude into the cabin space. Specifics on the battery for the new Range Rover Electric or this Sport model haven’t been revealed yet, though 800V charging hardware should be able to capitalise on the UK’s expanding network of 350kW ultra-rapid charge points. A 10-80 per cent charge could be possible in 30 minutes – even if the Range Rover Sport Electric gets a battery over 100kWh in capacity.
Range Rover hasn’t discussed potential range figures for its all-electric models yet, though a relatively large battery is expected in the Sport Electric. Don’t go expecting incredible numbers, given the 0.29 drag coefficient and likely high kerbweight of the big SUV.
The Sport Electric could match the internal-combustion engined car’s straight line performance. There’s no word on if Range Rover will make use of BMW’s electric motors - despite the two companies agreeing to co-develop electric drive units back in 2019. With Range Rover’s inherent off-road traditions in mind, a dual-motor set up in the Sport Electric providing all-wheel-drive is a given.
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