Jaguar Going All Electric By 2025, Cancels Electric XJ Sedan

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky
jaguar going all electric by 2025 cancels electric xj sedan

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced that it plans to have transitioned the Jaguar side of the business entirely to electric vehicles by 2025. Meanwhile, the more profitable Land Rover brand will be receiving its very first EV sometime in 2024. The plan is backed by a £2.5 billion (roughly $3.5 billion USD) investment.

As usual, take these promises with a grain of salt. Practically every manufacturer has underdelivered when it comes to electrification and features existing under the catch-all mobility tag. Jaguar’s current battery-electric vehicle, the I-Pace, hasn’t exactly been a smash hit and its construction is actually contracted out to Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Jag also recently abandoned the new XJ model, which has been in development for years. Ironically, the car was supposed to become the brand’s first all-electric sedan.

That is definitely at odds with its plan of providing an electric-only future. But the company explained that the model designation probably won’t be scrapped and may even reappear under a new platform (dedicated entirely to EVs) that’s likely to underpin all future Jaguars.

While JLR leadership absolutely wants to frame it as though Land Rover will likewise be moving toward ditching the internal combustion engine, its entire business is devoted to maintaining its luxury appeal and rugged past. Frankly, EVs might not be a good fit for the brand until they’re capable of enduring the kind of severe abuse and off-road shenanigans modern Land Rover owners assume their car can. JLR may also be hedging its bets. If world governments are successful in their banning of liquid-fueled automobiles, Jaguar will suddenly become the hotter property. If not, Land Rover will be there to pick up the slack for the foreseeable future.

That’s assuming JLR stays in relatively good health, which has not been the case. But parent company Tata Motors announced that a better than anticipated sales recovery in China helped it turn a modest profit. Despite hemorrhaging cash and jobs at a rate that made it look as though the automaker was doomed, Tata announced JLR had turned a £439-million (pre-tax) profit in the final quarter of 2020. If it can maintain that momentum through what’s already shaping up to be another difficult year, then its restructuring has definitely been working. Otherwise, it will have to be placed on deathwatch.

Though don’t think everything hinges on electrification vs combustion. Much of the current dialogue automakers are sharing with the public involves bolstering services and connectivity. Often masked by bold promises about carbon reductions and pivoting powertrains, there’s usually some mention of leveraging connected services, data acquisition, and software development for future profits. Jaguar Land Rover said it would be cooperating with Tata on all fronts.

“Our vision is clear… to become the creator of the world’s most desirable luxury vehicles and services for the most discerning of customer,” JLR CEO Thierry Bolloré noted in the release.

[Image: JLR]

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  • FreedMike FreedMike on Feb 17, 2021

    My first temptation is to say it's time for a Jaguar deathwatch, but I'll hold off. What if Jaguar can build electrics that look and feel like actual Jaguars? Load them up with a burled-wood interior and lots of leather, and sexy styling - i.e., all the stuff that's missing from the current lineup - and resist the temptation to do the silly Tesla-style Ipad dash, and maybe they have something. I mean, it can't be worse than what they're trying to sell these days. (Willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but there's a LONG way to go here.)

    • Kendahl Kendahl on Feb 17, 2021

      The centrally mounted laptop screen, instead of a proper instrument panel straight in front of the driver, kills the Model 3 for me.

  • Tstag Tstag on Feb 20, 2021

    There is a logic to going all electric for Jaguar by 2025. Firstly they will climb the reliability charts. Electric cars have few moving parts. That means Jaguar can get one over the German brands. Secondly by dropping cars like the XE they will increase margins. Thirdly for Jaguar the I pace is becoming a success. Unlike normal cars sales are getting stronger as the model ages, new models will let them double down. Basically the logic is there but it’s brave stuff

  • Lou_BC "Owners of affected Wrangles" Does a missing "r" cancel an extra stud?
  • Slavuta One can put a secret breaker that will disable the starter or spark plug supply. Even disabling headlights or all lights will bring more trouble to thieves than they wish for. With no brake lights, someone will hit from behind, they will leave fingerprints inside. Or if they steal at night, they will have to drive with no lights. Any of these things definitely will bring attention.I remember people removing rotor from under distributor cup.
  • Slavuta Government Motors + Government big tech + government + Federal police = fascist surveillance state. USSR surveillance pales...
  • Johnster Another quibble, this time about the contextualization of the Thunderbird and Cougar, and their relationship to the prestigious Continental Mark. (I know. It's confusing.) The Thunderbird/Mark IV platform introduced for the 1971 model year was apparently derived from the mid-sized Torino/Montego platform (also introduced for the 1971 model year), but should probably be considered different from it.As we all know, the Cougar shared its platform with the Ford Mustang up through the 1973 model year, moving to the mid-sized Torino/Montego platform for the 1974 model year. This platform was also shared with the failed Ford Gran Torino Elite, (introduced in February of 1974, the "Gran Torino" part of the name was dropped for the 1975 and 1976 model years).The Thunderbird/Mark series duo's separation occurred with the 1977 model year when the Thunderbird was downsized to share a platform with the LTD II/Cougar. The 1977 model year saw Mercury drop the "Montego" name and adopt the "Cougar" name for all of their mid-sized cars, including plain 2-doors, 4-doors and and 4-door station wagons. Meanwhile, the Cougar PLC was sold as the "Cougar XR-7." The Cougar wagon was dropped for the 1978 model year (arguably replaced by the new Zephyr wagon) while the (plain) 2-door and 4-door models remained in production for the 1978 and 1979 model years. It was a major prestige blow for the Thunderbird. Underneath, the Thunderbird and Cougar XR-7 for 1977 were warmed-over versions of the failed Ford Elite (1974-1976), while the Mark V was a warmed-over version of the previous Mark IV.
  • Stuart de Baker This is depressing, and I don't own one of these.
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