Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular, as consumers are waking up to the many benefits they offer. Among other advantages, electric vehicles are cheaper to run, cheaper to maintain and much kinder to the environment than petrol or diesel vehicles.
Recently, Jaguar Land Rover has publicly shared its plans to produce a range of electric vehicles for both vehicle brands. From 2020 onwards, both Land Rover and Jaguar will offer customers electrified options for its models.
The new Jaguar XJ will be the first vehicle model to become electrified. This flagship luxury sedan has been extremely popular with consumers. The current Jaguar XJ is exported to over 120 countries globally, including South Africa. This model’s production run has ended and preparations for the release of the new, electrified 2020 model are underway.
Electric cars: the future of transport
“The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK,” says Jaguar Land Rover chief executive officer Ralph Speth. “We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, battery assembly and Electronic Drive Units in the Midlands to create a powerhouse of electrification,” he added.
The same team that produced the world’s first electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Jaguar I-Pace, will be designing, engineering and manufacturing the all-electric XJ model. The I-Pace is available in South Africa with a starting price of R1.69-million. It won the title of World Car of the Year in 2019.
Jaguar Land Rover – improved electrified vehicles
At the moment the I-Pace is the only electric vehicle available from Jaguar and Rover. However, the expansion of the company’s range of electrified vehicles will increase the options for consumers who are shopping for greener vehicles. To date, consumer uptake of electric vehicles has been a challenge for vehicle manufacturers.
However, experts are predicting that the global share of electric vehicles will increase from just 2% in 2016 to 22% in 2030. “Convenience and affordability are the two main factors driving the uptake of electric vehicles to the levels that we all require. Charging should be as simple as re-fuelling a conventional vehicle,” says Speth.
At the moment electric vehicles are costly and recharging stations are non-existent in South Africa. This means that owners have to rely on the electricity supply at their homes or at their destination. Electric vehicles will become more affordable to consumers in the future and Jaguar Land Rover is relying on this for its future sales.
As battery technology improves, the cost of electric vehicles will gradually decrease. Batteries are the main source of the improvement of the performance of electric cars. By investing in electrified vehicles, Jaguar Land Rover is stating its belief that green vehicles are the future of transport.
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