After a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the Range Rover Electric will feature Fortescue’s advanced EV battery software. The battery tech, which will be first used on the Range Rover EV, is claimed to boost range with faster charging speeds.
Range Rover revealed the first images of its long-awaited fully electric SUV last month. The brand’s first electric vehicle is already generating strong interest ahead of its official launch later this year.
In February, the company revealed that over 16,000 potential buyers had signed up for the Range Rover EV waitlist.
You can see Range Rover has (for the most part) stuck to its roots with a traditional design you would expect from the luxury brand. As its “most refined” vehicle yet, the Range Rover EV features a simple, modernist design.
“Range Rover with electric power – means customary Range Rover luxury, refinement and capability plus near-silent fully electric propulsion; with effortlessly smooth and relaxed journeys,” according to Thomas Mueller, JLR’s executive director of product engineering.
The vehicle is undergoing extreme weather testing in places like the Arctic Circle and deserts of the Middle East.
Range Rover has focused on core component performance, including batteries and EDU, both of which are assembled in-house for the first time.
Range Rover Electric has new EV tech to boost range
With the electric propulsion developed in-house, Range Rover believes it will enable it to “exceed its already renowned performance on low-grip surfaces, ensuring all-terrain, all-weather, and all-surface capability.”
As another first for Range Rover, the EV features a new traction control system designed to enhance performance in slippery conditions.
Most recently, JLR signed a multi-year deal Tuesday to use software from Elysia, an EV battery tech spinoff from Fortescue. The company claims its software features best-in-class BMS algorithms and a powerful cloud platform to manage, optimize, and enhance performance.
The new intelligence software is designed to improve battery longevity, safety, and performance. It will be first featured in the upcoming Range Rover EV.
JLR claims buyers can expect faster charging times, improved reliability, and increased range. The software will be used to monitor all future JLR EVs.
The company says its new partnership is part of its Reimagine strategy that includes electrifying all brands by 2030.
Two smaller EVs are expected to debut following the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. According to rumors, they could include the Evoque and Velar models.
Range Rover’s first electric SUV will launch later this year. It will compete with the new Porsche Macan EV and other luxury electric SUVs.
More details, including specs and pricing, are expected closer to launch. Range Rover has said its first EV can navigate through 850 mm (33.5″) of water, which would top the GMC Hummer EV (32″).