But a full EV(oque) remains off the cards, for now.
British SUV marque Range Rover have clarified that their all-new Evoque, which is set to take the world by storm, will have a plug-in hybrid variant in the range in the near future. Due in 2020, JLR’s UK boss calls the chargeable Evoque a “fleet game-changer” that is expected to eventually make up more than 30% of all Evoque sales in the UK.
According to Rawdon Glover (JLR’s Managing Director for UK), the Evoque PHEV should pair a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol with an electric motor, with the combustion engine expected to put out something like 147kW while the motor will add another 80kW into the mix. All-electric range wasn’t specified, but considering that the market standard is about 40km-60km, it should do about that.
As Glover explained to Autocar, despite there being “a market for a small to medium-sized electric SUV,” the Evoque will not go the way of zero-emissions just yet. This is due to the platform – as it runs on an evolved version of the previous-generation Evoque platform, which cannot be made to house an EV powertrain. So an EVoque (get it) will only come round in 2022 or so.
But the full-fat Range Rover will likely get an all-electric version in its next iteration it seems, as it’s believed that by the time that rolls around, the market would evolve to the point of widespread adoption. As it is, the Range Rover & Range Rover Sport both offer PHEV options, so they’re good for the time being.
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