Next-gen Range Rover Evoque EV (2026) to feature the EMA platform

Update: All sections revised.

The Mk2 Range Rover Evoque was introduced in late 2018, and as per a report from Autocar filed on April 19, 2023, the third-gen Evoque will be a pure-electric SUV. Land Rover has confirmed that it will “continue to build ICE and hybrid Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport models alongside future BEV products,” indicating that updates are planned for the petrol and hybrid versions as well.

Here’s everything we know about the Range Rover Evoque Electric so far:

Platform & Specifications

The next-gen Range Rover Evoque, like the new-generation Porsche Macan, will be a pure-electric SUV by default. It will be based on a new platform called Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA). JLR announced EMA as a “native BEV” or a pure-electric biased platform that supports advanced electrified internal combustion engines in 2021. On April 19, 2023, JLR announced a change in the plan, saying EMA “will now be pure-electric.”

In JLR’s words, the EMA platform, “born from an obsession with simplicity,” will allow using batteries of various shapes and chemistries. This may give the company a lot of flexibility and offer multiple configurations as per the range and performance requirements of customers in different markets.

Flat floor & 800V capability

EMA vehicles will feature a flat floor that maximizes cabin space and come with in-house developed electric drive units (EDUs) that deliver 92% efficiency. The EDUs will be 800V capable and also the most torque-dense in the class. JLR estimates their energy efficiency to be 4-4.5 miles/kWh, which would improve greatly on the I-Pace’s energy efficiency ratings. For reference, the I-Pace has an energy efficiency rating of 35.4-40.5 kWh/100 miles (2.4-2.8 miles/kWh) in both EV320 and EV400 variants, as per Europe’s WLTP.

Expect the all-electric Evoque to feature plenty of space, ultra-fast charging (5-80% SoC in under 25 minutes), and competitive range figures, offering around 300 miles (EPA-est.) between stops.

Full electrification benefits

There are many ways in which the Range Rover Evoque Electric will be superior to a comparable gas-powered SUV. A noise-free electric powertrain would make driving more enjoyable for customers. Furthermore, the flat floor would provide more passenger and storage space, which would improve comfort and functionality.

In addition to the default benefits of the Evoque’s compact dimensions, the torquey nature of an electric powertrain would make the zero-emission SUV an even better urban runabout. Moreover, if you enjoy off-road driving, it should provide additional capability.

Unique design proportions

On January 31, 2022, former Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore briefly talked about the EMA during the parent company’s Q3 FY22 earnings conference call. He said that JLR is developing the platform because, like the MLA, it will allow designing cars with unique proportions and capabilities.

The MLA platform – it’s a unique platform. It’s a platform which is bringing (not only) all this proportion that you can see on our cars, but also all the extraordinary capabilities which make them completely unique. And that’s a differentiation that we continuously want to enhance. So the consequence is that we are creating at the moment (as) we speak the new EMA platform, because it’s going to bring a unique proportion and capabilities to the cars that we’re going to manufacture.

Thierry Bollore, former CEO, Jaguar Land Rover (Tata Motors Q3 FY22 earnings conference call on January 31, 2022)

Price & Release date

On February 2, 2024, while discussing JLR’s Q3 Fiscal 2023/24 results, CFO Richard Molyneux announced that the company will only launch four EVs by 2026, not six EVs as it had announced in 2021. While he didn’t make a specific mention of an all-electric Evoque, we expect it to be launched globally in 2026 as the second Land Rover on the EMA platform, following the Range Rover Velar EV.

The base price of the bespoke electric SUV will likely start around USD 60,000. For reference, the prices of the gas-powered second-gen model start at USD 51,000.

Manufacturing

On September 26, 2024, JLR announced a £500 million investment to upgrade the Halewood facility, enabling the simultaneous production of electric vehicles alongside its current combustion and hybrid models. This manufacturing plant in Liverpool, UK, the same facility responsible for the first- and second-gen Evoques.

Battery production

The batteries of the Range Rover Evoque EV will almost certainly come from Tata Group-owned Agratas’ upcoming 40 GWh battery manufacturing facility in the UK. Situated in the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater, Somerset, the nation’s biggest battery factory will start production in 2026.

Range Rover Evoque EV part of ‘Reimagine’ strategy

JLR plans to come out with four Land Rover BEVs by 2026 and offer all its models with a zero-emission propulsion system by 2030. With the Range Rover Evoque, one of its top three best-selling Land Rovers, offering it in a pure electric powertrain in the next generation was always on the cards.

Land Rover must build an all-electric vehicle line-up in the next few years. This is due to a combination of factors, such as tightening emission regulations, including the looming ban on combustion vehicles in some of its big markets (New York, which is one of the biggest markets for the Range Rover models, is banning new gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035), pressure from Chinese competitors, and the fact that Tesla and the German trio are already well ahead of Land Rover with EVs.

TopElectricSUV says

Electric or combustion-engined, the Range Rover Evoque is about clean, reductive, and charming design. The first-gen Evoque was distinguished by its coupe-like sloping roofline and rising beltline, which is no more a novelty, The global car market is awash with SUV coupes, and a streamlined body is a prerequisite in EV design. We are keen to see whether the Land Rover designers will go beyond merely enhancing the original formula.

Featured Image Source: Jaguar Land Rover