Range Rover’s first luxury electric SUV sheds its camo during testing [Images]

Will the Range Rover Electric be “the most capable electric luxury SUV” to hit the market? That’s what the company is promising. As final testing wraps up, Range Rover’s first EV is already outperforming the iconic gas-powered model. Here’s our best look yet at the luxury electric SUV.

The most capable electric luxury SUV?

Known for its signature luxury design and unrivaled capabilities, Range Rover is preparing for a new era. With its first electric SUV about to hit showrooms, Range Rover is putting the flagship model through the paces.

Prototypes are currently undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured” in the United Arab Emirates. According to Range Rover, its first EV is already surpassing expectations.

The SUV endured Range Rover’s most grueling hot-weather testing, with “merciless temperatures” of up to 122F (50C) and 90% humidity. Despite the extreme conditions, the Range Rover Electric “delivered impressive results, surpassing the thermal testing performance recorded of any Range Rover vehicle on sand.”

According to Thomas Müller, Range Rover’s executive director of product engineering, the EV is even outperforming its iconic gas-powered models. Müller said:

Our tests have shown that in this climate, repeatedly driving the equivalent of 328 feet (100 meters) uphill on fine sand, Range Rover Electric matches the performance of its ICE equivalents; in some instances, even surpassing them.

The added performance is due to new traction control and thermal management systems specifically engineered for the electric model.

Range Rover’s first luxury EV outperforms during testing

Range Rover’s new Intelligent Torque Management system feeds power to each individual electric drive control. The company claims its new tech reduces torque reaction time at each wheel from around 100 milliseconds to as little as 1 millisecond.

The electric SUV tackled the 300-foot “Big Red” dune in the heart of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert, completing the feat “with flying colours.”

Range Rover’s first EV will finally hit showrooms in 2025. Ahead of its official debut, the company continues to “refine and craft the epitome of Range Rover luxury.”

At the end of October, the Range Rover Electric had over 48,000 clients on the waitlist. Range Rover said its new in-house electric powertrain will help push the brand to “exceed its already renowned performance on low-grip surfaces, ensuring all-terrain, all-weather, and all-surface capability.”

It looks like the SUV is already living up to its promise. With an expected wading depth of 33.8″ (850 mm), Range Rover’s first EV can wade through deeper water than the monstrous GMC Hummer EV at 32″.

Range Rover is expected to launch a smaller Sport model following the flagship luxury electric SUV. With its debut around the corner, the Range Rover Sport EV was caught testing at the Nurburgring (see the video here).

After that, another compact electric SUV, likely the Range Rover Velar, will hit the market. The expected Velar EV was also recently spotted on a transporter near JLR’s Nurburgring test facility.