Land Rover previews ‘most capable electric SUV’

Whatever the Range Rover, it has to be formidably capable off-road. Doesn’t matter if it’s an SVR or an Evoque Convertible, if a car carries that badge then it has to be more than adept off the beaten track. Much more. Which is why the new Range Rover Electric is currently being put to the ultimate test in the United Arab Emirates. 

The UAE is a familiar hot weather testing location of course – because nowhere else is quite so inhospitable. There are temps beyond 50 degrees and humidity above 90 per cent in some places, just for starters – the perfect conditions to really push the cooling capabilities for occupants and battery. The first fully electrified Range Rover is underpinned by a new thermal management system, which has apparently performed in ‘exemplary’ style when subjected to prolonged desert driving and extended runs around the city. Naturally Land Rover wasn’t likely to publicise it not working well, but it’s reassuring to know that the EV will happily cope with a hot week or two in Sandbanks next summer. 

Plus there’s the off-roading to think about, which can also be extensively tested in the UAE. ‘Big Red’ is a famous dune in the Al Badayer desert, claimed to be Dubai’s greatest desert hill climb and a test that all Range Rovers must complete as part of their development. The exact requirement is five ascents of the 90m dune without any impact on performance, before immediately moving on to the next task.

Apparently the Electric ‘completed the feat with flying colours’. Marking your own homework again, yes, but enough Range Rovers have defied belief with their off-road ability now that simply equalling the past is significant. Something called Intelligent Torque Management helps the Electric out, the new tech (with wheel slip management incorporated into drive units) reducing reaction time from a yawning 100 milliseconds to just one millisecond. So even less excuse for getting stuck, basically. 

Thomas Müller, Product Engineering Exec Director, said: “A hot climate is one of the most challenging for any battery electric vehicle, because of the need to cool the cabin and optimise battery performance at the same time. The additional challenge of driving on sand requires controlled low-speed torque, so our specially developed traction control and thermal management systems work in harmony to ensure power delivery is unaffected. Our tests have shown that in this climate, repeatedly driving the equivalent of 100 metres uphill on fine sand, Range Rover Electric matches the performance of its ICE equivalents; in some instances, even surpassing them – thanks to the introduction of these new features.”

So perhaps this will be the new best 4x4xfar, if we’re allowed to mix up our marketing messages. We’ll know for certain come next year.