Range Rover’s first EV looks the part, but with a few surprises
Range Rover’s first electric SUV will finally arrive later this year. Ahead of its official launch, early reviews show the upcoming EV stays true to the Range Rover heritage, but there are a few things you should know.
Range Rover will launch its first EV later this year
Since launching its first vehicle 55 years ago, the Range Rover brand has become an iconic symbol of off-road capabilities, elegant design, and luxurious interiors.
With its first all-electric SUV due out later this year, Range Rover promises it will “refine and craft the epitome” of the luxury brand.
Although Range Rover is currently putting the electric SUV through “the most intensive testing” any of its vehicles has endured, Autocar got their hands on a prototype for an early review.
The Range Rover Electric may look like the iconic SUV we’ve grown to love, but with an electric powertrain, it offers even more.
“A Range Rover more calm and assured, almost regardless of circumstance, than any in its 55-year lineage. Electrification yields a lot, but sacrifices little,” Matt Sanders, Autocar’s chief car tester, said after driving the prototype.
Based on the MLA platform, the electric SUV features JLR’s new in-house powertrain. The dual-motor setup packs a combined 542 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
The EV draws power from a massive 118 kWh battery, which is expected to deliver around 300 miles of real-world range. Sanders said he had about 160 miles of range remaining at half charge during the review.
However, even JLR’s engineers admit that due to the SUV’s (not so) aerodynamic profile, 300 miles may be optimistic during longer-range highway driving. The engineers highlighted that the vehicle’s 800V architecture offers some of the fastest DC charging speeds on the market.
The electric SUV can also tow over 7,700 lbs (2.5 tons). Although this is less than the current Range Rover’s 3.5-ton towing capacity, it’s still on par with other luxury SUVs, such as the Mercedes G-Class.
To add more power, more motors, and bigger batteries would be required, according to Simon Fairbrother, Range Rover’s Chief Program Engineer.
Inside, the cabin is nearly identical to that of the current Range Rover SUV, featuring a plethora of digital screens and physical buttons in front of the driver. If anything, the only thing that could be changed is that the “Range Rover Electric deserves bigger heating and ventilation controls than other derivatives,” Sanders wrote.
JLR’s new in-house thermal management system (ThermAssist) is about 40% more efficient than the system of the Jaguar I-Pace, its first all-electric vehicle.
Range Rover’s first E will be offered in standard and long wheelbase variants. The extended wheelbase model will be about the same size as the outgoing Range Rover SUV, but it’s expected to still include enough second-row space to take it into “Bentley or Rolls-Royce territory for sheer lounging space.”
Since Autocar only drove the vehicle at speeds under 20 mph, we’ll have to wait to hear more about on- and off-road performance.
Sanders did mention that “the Range Rover Electric can simply ease itself up, down, over and around everything before it inspires incredible confidence in its capabilities” while driving through forest racks.
We will learn the prices closer to launch, but JLR is reportedly aiming for a price around the same as the V8 Autobiography, at just under £150,000 ($200,000).
Range Rover’s first EV has already secured over 61,000 clients on the waitlist ahead of its upcoming debut. JLR also revealed the luxury brand’s first logo, which we could see debut on the new electric SUV.
Source: Autocar
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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.
This project has been in the works for a long time.
In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.
A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations.
Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. In 2022, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.
In 2023, the automaker broke ground on the site of the diner.
7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:
Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.
A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.
Earlier this year, Tesla integrated the diner into its mobile app – hinting at some interaction through the app – possibly ordering from it.
Electrek’s Take
I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.
However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.
You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.
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Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.
Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut
The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.
Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.
We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.
Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.
New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.
Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.
Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.
The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).
Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.
In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Clien
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