Range Rover goes electric as clients say they want $138K SUV 'in a fully electric form,' exec says

Range Rover finally revealed its first EV, the Range Rover Electric, a car that starts at around $138,000 in the US (£154,070) and arrives as American demand for EVs remains soft.

The Range Rover Electric looks just like its gas-powered brethren, and that appears to be on purpose — to reassure the faithful that this is indeed a fully capable Range Rover. Twin 260kW permanent magnet motors make up to 550PS (543hp) and 850Nm of torque — "V8 levels of power," in the company's phrase — yet run nearly silent, with 0-60 mph in as little as 4.3 seconds.

"Range Rover clients have been telling us for some time that they want an electric Range Rover, but only if it delivers the same uncompromising experience they expect from the brand," Martin Limpert, Range Rover managing director, told Yahoo Finance. "That means effortless performance, refined comfort, all-terrain capability, and the sense of calm our clients value."

Capability-wise, the Electric can ford up to nearly three feet of water and climb 45-degree slopes using single-pedal driving. It features a traction system that reacts within 50 milliseconds, around 100 times faster than a gas-powered Range Rover, the company said.

The Electric uses a 118.5kWh double-stacked lithium-ion battery using 800-volt architecture, good for an estimated 372 miles of range (not EPA-certified yet). On charging, Range Rover said a 10%-80% charge takes only 22 minutes, and 137 miles can be added in as little as 10 minutes at peak rate. Notably for the US, a native North American Charging Standard (NACS) port comes standard, meaning Tesla's Supercharger network is available.

On the negative side, while the Electric's range is decent, it still lags behind many of its rivals.

"Our research shows that many Range Rover clients' driving patterns are already highly compatible with electric vehicle ownership," Limpert countered, adding that most will be charging at home, blunting the effects of range anxiety.

In the US, Range Rover's EV will cost more than rivals like the Cadillac ( GM ) Escalade IQ (about $127,000), the Mercedes ( MBGAF ) EQS SUV (about $91,000), and the Lucid ( LCID ) Gravity (from about $80,000).

Along with its exterior styling and on- and off-road capability, the cabin interior is where Range Rover makes the case on price, as it is positioned as a luxury offering. Range Rover said the Electric rides on twin-chamber air suspension that is quieter and more refined than any previous Range Rover, and it comes with an interior fridge as well as a fold-out for enjoying drinks alfresco, perhaps at a polo event. (At least that's what Range Rover would like its clients to imagine.)