European car fans who love Land Rovers and Jaguars as much as they care for the environment have something to celebrate: All new Land Rovers and Jaguars will be electrified by 2020.
Jaguar Land Rover confirmed the move at its inaugural Tech Fest in September.
“Every new Jaguar Land Rover model line will be electrified from 2020, giving our customers even more choice,” Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said in announcing the move. “We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles.”
Jaguar Land Rover will become electrical specialists with the upcoming release of a number of hybrid and electrical models. Auto Express reports:
“JLR’s first fully electric vehicle will go on sale next year in the form of the I-Pace – an all-electric Jaguar SUV with a claimed range of at least 300 miles, a powertrain with up to 395bhp, and a starting price around the £55,000 mark.
Further all-electric vehicles will be spawned across both brands using the architecture and components currently being developed for the firm’s Tesla Model X rival.”
Infrastructure Struggling to Catch Up
It seems governmental infrastructure has quite a bit of catching up to do. Dr. Speth took issue with the number of electrical ports currently available, especially in the UK.
“Dates are set by the UK government for the banning of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040, but with no detailed plans behind this bold statement,” Dr Speth said. “We as a company can deliver electric vehicles. Where is the network of charging points that they will require to function? Indeed, where is the power grid that will allow us to build them?”
It’s time to get with it. Car companies are ready to step up to the plate to meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Accord. Are our governments?
