Rumor: Land Rover Defender will be electric in 2025

Land Rover announced in February 2021 that the first battery-only vehicle will join its luxury SUV range in 2024 (it will be the Range Rover) and that within five years, five more such models will follow.

Of course, not all will be available everywhere at the same time. Will Badass Defender be one of them? Most likely.

In fact, according to what the UK website claims Auto-Express (which does not identify any source, it should be noted), the addition of an electric variant will accompany the mid-term update of the Defender, expected in 2025.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Land Rover would use for the event a flexible platform called “Modular Longitudinal Architecture” (MLA), shared by Range Rover and the new Range Rover Sport and compatible with hybrid and electric models. We also know that an electric platform called “Electromagnetic Architecture” (EMA) will eventually be used for the all-new zero-emission cars.

In terms of the battery, the manufacturer has already mentioned a capacity of 100 kWh and a range of about 480 km, but it remains to be seen if these figures are used for the future electric Defender, regardless of its configuration (90, 110 or 130). .

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

As for the design, both exterior and interior, we shouldn’t expect any major changes compared to the petrol-powered Defenders.

If the rumors are true and the electric Defender arrives in 2025 (likely as a 2026 model), then it will compete with the Rivian R1S and GMC Hummer EV SUV, not to mention the future Mercedes-Benz EQG and possibly an electric SUV from. Volkswagen’s new Scout brand.

The goal is for 60% of Land Rover’s global sales to be fully electric vehicles by 2030.