Jaguar Land Rover’s PHEVs outsold competitors in 2023. The surprising success has motivated the company to change the route, namely, turn away from all-electric cars in favor of plug-in hybrids.
JLR has decided to postpone the launch of 2 out of 8 battery electric models planned for 2026. The reason lies in the fact that Jaguar Land Rover’s PHEVs turned out to be more successful than expected, motor.es reports.
Due to such models as the Jaguar I-Pace and F-Pace, the company’s plug-in hybrid sales grew by 68% last year. Therefore, JLR wants to slow down with full electrification and see what will happen to the all-electric market. Jaguar Land Rover’s decision is not exceptional. Ford has gone the same way changing its EV production plans.
Well, it’s a reasonable, careful move given that the current market trend is not in favor of electric vehicles. The EV segment is already overcrowded. Consumer interest in electric cars has been declining: the novelty effect no longer works. As for hybrid vehicles, we don’t have to worry about them, since the demand is consistently good.
Toyota turned out to be the most far-sighted. The Japanese company has always been a critic of battery electric vehicles and a promoter of hybrid technologies. As we see, Toyota may be right.
Of course, Jaguar Land Rover won’t completely abandon electric cars. Its BEV portfolio will include two Jaguar and four Land Rover models, while two Land Rover cars are postponed.
All-electric Land Rovers on the horizon are the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport on the MLA platform, and two smaller vehicles, assumedly the Evoque and Velar on a next-gen EMA architecture.
The Jaguar brand goes fully electric in 2025 and its first representative is a GT 4-door model on the Jaguar Electrified Architecture.
