Another automaker puts the brakes on electrics and wants more hybrids

Following on from General Motors in recent weeks, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) is now reviewing its electric vehicle plans and focusing on plug-in hybrids as a transitional option.

In an interview with Automotive News Europe, the British automaker's CEO, Adrian Mardell, admitted that the move to 100% electric will be slower than initially expected due to evolving demand.

So, instead of launching six electric Land Rovers by 2026, as mentioned in February 2021, JLR is now planning just four: an electric Range Rover, to be unveiled later this year, followed by an electric Range Rover Sport and two more compact vehicles. The latter could complement or replace the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar.

An electric Defender is still on the drawing board, but not until the end of the decade.

For its part, Jaguar remains unchanged in its intention to become an all-electric brand in the medium term, starting with a new four-door coupe in 2025. It will be built on a different platform from the I-PACE crossover, an aging product that has recently fallen victim to fires due to the battery supplied by LG Energy Solution.

However, Mardell didn't say anything about the three "jaw-dropping" electric SUVs that the British magazine Autocar reported would exist in June 2022.

In fact, he said that JLR wants to offer more plug-in hybrids - representing Land Rover, but without being more specific - until consumer appetite for all-electric is more sustained. In particular, the big boss claimed that JLR sold 68% more plug-in hybrids in Europe in 2023 than in the previous year.

The automaker's new target is for electric vehicles to account for 60% of total sales by 2030, and 100% by 2036.