New images show Range Rover Electric in winter testing
Range Rover has released new images of its all-electric flagship undergoing cold weather testing in the Arctic Circle.
The images show the near-production-ready Range Rover Electric without camouflage, tackling steep snowy inclines and frozen lakes as engineers work to refine its systems ahead of its launch.
Central to the latest testing is work on the car’s “ThermAssist” technology, designed to preserve range and optimise charging even in the coldest temperatures without compromising cabin comfort.
Range Rover says the thermal management system 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 -10C.
Thomas Müller, executive director of product engineering at JLR, said: “Rigorous testing procedures in extreme and unpredictable conditions like those experienced in Arjeplog are crucial to Range Rover Electric’s real-world reliability and resilience.
“Our second winter season in the Arctic Circle has provided the perfect opportunity for us to put our new ThermAssistTM technology to the test, and it has surpassed our expectations. It will help to ensure Range Rover Electric’s range remains intelligently optimised while also ensuring charging speeds are maintained when a top-up is required.”
Range Rover has now confirmed that the Range Rover Electric will use a 117kWh battery with cell-to-pack construction, developed and built entirely in-house at JLR. We may well see the same pack in the upcoming Jaguar Type 00. There’s no official word on range, but the rival Mercedes G580 offers around 300 miles from its 116kWh battery.
Power and performance details are also still under wraps, but the Electric is expected to be comparable with the 523bhp V8 version already on sale.
On the snowy and icy trails around Arjeplog, Sweden, engineers have also been testing the car’s new suspension and four-wheel-drive systems including new Terrain Response settings developed for the electric powertrain and the one-pedal driving.
The single-pedal mode has been calibrated to provide braking regeneration and to work even in difficult off-road scenarios, stopping the car and automatically engaging hill hold where needed. In addition, Range Rover says new torque management systems allow for quicker and more accurate distribution across all four wheels than any ICE equivalent. The “Intelligent Driveline Dynamics” (IDD) technology and traction control can reportedly manage slip up to 100 times quicker than an ICE vehicle equivalent.
The car’s air suspension has also been re-engineered with a twin-chamber system to help deal with the additional weight and unique weight distinction of the electric version.
The winter testing mirrors similarly tough assessment in the heat of the desert in the United Arab Emirates last year.
