Range Rover goes fully electric for the first time ever
Range Rover has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle after a launch delay of about a year.
The Range Rover Electric will be manufactured in Solihull as JLR expands battery and electric drivetrain production across the West Midlands.
JLR says about 10,500 workers have been trained to support its transition towards electrification.
The milestone comes as the British carmaker grapples with falling profits, supply-chain disruption, restructuring and the fallout from a major cyberattack.
Clarivox News - Range Rover has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, marking a significant shift in the luxury carmaker’s strategy as parent company JLR navigates falling profits, supply-chain disruption and an ongoing restructuring of its UK operations.
The Range Rover Electric will be manufactured in Solihull in England’s West Midlands following a launch delayed by about a year. Its arrival represents a major step in JLR’s transition towards electric vehicles and comes alongside substantial investment in battery and electric drivetrain manufacturing.
JLR said it had trained about 10,500 workers to support its electrification programme, including roughly 9,000 employees in Solihull and another 1,500 across the West Midlands.
The company’s electric propulsion manufacturing centre in Wolverhampton is now producing battery packs and electric drive units alongside internal combustion engines, reflecting JLR’s attempt to manage the transition while maintaining its conventional vehicle business.
Martin Limpert, managing director of Range Rover, described the launch as a “pivotal” moment for the brand and JLR after a decade of engineering work.
“This secures jobs, this provides for the economy and we are really excited,” Limpert told the BBC.
The electric push comes during a challenging period for the Coventry-based carmaker. JLR reported profits of £66 million in the first quarter of 2026 following disruption caused by a fire at a key Norwegian supplier.
The company has also been recovering from a major cyberattack that halted production for more than a month and was estimated by researchers to have caused £1.9 billion in economic damage.
JLR is simultaneously restructuring parts of its workforce, with fewer than 300 jobs expected to be cut as it adjusts its operations to changing market conditions.
David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, said the electric Range Rover represented a significant turning point for both JLR and the regional automotive industry.
“It’s hugely important, as it’s the start of their proper shift into electrification,” Bailey said, adding that the transition would mean “a profound change” for the company and its West Midlands supply chain.
The launch places one of JLR’s most recognisable luxury brands at the centre of its electric strategy, but its success will come against wider pressures facing the automotive industry, including inflation, regulatory changes, geopolitical uncertainty and the costs associated with shifting production towards electric vehicles.
