The Defender EV Won’t Arrive Until The Next Decade

The new generation Land Rover Defender won’t arrive until the 2030s. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has slowed down model development to focus on a smaller, so-called “baby” version of the Defender and the imminent release of the electric Range Rover. The decision was made due to the need to carefully manage the limited budget for the development of electric vehicles.

JLR has not yet officially announced the delay, but in its investor reports it stressed that the existing Defender will continue to be available with petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines. Priority is currently given to other electric SUVs.

Despite the lack of official confirmation, media outlets such as The Times and financial analysts are reporting a significant delay and estimate that the all-electric Defender will not be introduced before the start of the next decade. Cutting costs and focusing on models close to mass production were the main topics at recent meetings with investors.

Electric Range Rover And New Platforms

The company has confirmed that the electric Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will use the modular MLA platform and will be built at the Solihull plant. On the other hand, the plant in Halewood will produce the first model on the new EMA platform, intended exclusively for electric vehicles, and it will be a new member of the Range Rover family.

The presentation of the electric Range Rover is announced for the end of this year, while its arrival on the market is expected in the second half of the fiscal year 2026-2027. This represents a significant delay compared to the original plan, according to which the model was supposed to be in showrooms as early as 2024. JLR has not yet announced when the electric Defender could join the lineup.

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