JLR says its first fully electric Range Rover is attracting a brand new audience to the brand, with 70% of 80,000 expressions of interest coming from individuals who don’t currently own a Range Rover.
The brand new Range Rover Electric could provide JLR retailers with a big customer acquisition opportunity, in line with Range Rover managing director Martin Limpert.
Speaking ahead of the model’s launch, Limpert said 70% of the 80,000 expressions of interest received up to now got here from customers latest to the Range Rover brand, with the remaining 30% existing customers.
He said the figures demonstrated that there was an audience that had previously been considering Range Rover but had been waiting for an electrical model.
“It’s a brand new opportunity for us,” Limpert told AM, adding that the corporate’s existing customer base remained highly loyal, particularly within the UK and US.
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Range Rover Electric price, range and charging
The primary electric Range Rover has now been officially unveiled, with UK pricing starting at £154,070. It’s being built at JLR’s Solihull plant and represents the brand’s first fully electric production model.
It uses a 118.5kWh battery and twin electric motors producing as much as 550PS and 850Nm of torque. The model can speed up from 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and has a quoted WLTP range of as much as 372 miles.
An 800-volt electrical architecture enables DC rapid charging from 10-80% in around 22 minutes, while JLR says the vehicle retains the off-road capability expected of a Range Rover.
The automotive has a maximum towing capability of two,500kg and a 900mm wading depth.
Dealers must sell luxury, not only lower running costs
For dealers, nevertheless, Limpert believes the sales proposition must transcend the standard electric vehicle arguments around running costs and tax.
“In a luxury world, it’s about explaining people why this makes Range Rover much more elevated than Range Rover already was before,” he said.
He believes the EV’s refinement, quietness and effortless performance will likely be particularly essential in persuading existing customers who may initially be reluctant to maneuver away from petrol power.
JLR has invested heavily in preparing its dealer network for those conversations.
Around 900 dealer representatives received intensive training covering the vehicle, technology, charging, payments, servicing and diagnostics. Those representatives will now take that knowledge back into their respective markets.
JLR plans controlled supply to guard residual values
Residual values can even be closely watched as the electrical model enters the market.
Limpert said JLR would operate a “pull-driven” business model reasonably than pushing unwanted EV volume into the market.
The power to construct different powertrains on the identical production line at Solihull means supply will be adjusted in line with demand, which he believes will help protect Range Rover residual values.
The model will include an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty. JLR can also be developing digital twins of individual batteries to watch their health and potentially discover issues before they turn out to be failures.
More details on the Range Rover Electric will likely be available when the automotive officially launches in October.
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
