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Soon to be roving all over the world, without missing a beat
BRUCE McMAHON is impressed with sub-zero testing of the all-electric Range Rover that kept its reputation for comfort and capability intact.
The Range Rover is a classic motor vehicle, now in its fifth decade and looking to keep on keeping on with electric four-wheel-drives.
It is a move fraught with risks: how to maintain the Range Rover’s off-road capabilities in all manner of conditions and climates while, at the same time, coping with the needs and abilities of sophisticated electrical powertrains.
So, the British wagons (now more the luxury estate vehicle than a mud plugger) have been sent way north to dance on Arctic ice. And, the engineers report this latest round of sub-zero temperature testing indicates that nothing of the Range Rover’s legendary comforts or capabilities have been sullied in these all-electric versions.
The vehicles feature Land Rover’s ThermAssist technology, said to optimise driving range while preserving charging capability and cabin comfort.
This thermal management system reportedly reduces heating energy consumption by up to 40 per cent and recovers heat to warm the propulsion system, or cabin, in ambient temperatures as low as -10C.
While this is unlikely – climate change or not – to be useful cruising up the sands of K’Gari, it does suggest Range Rover is quite invested in this all-electric vehicle and it’s to be hoped these engineers approach hot weather testing with the same due diligence.
The latest 72,000 kilometres of testing across frozen lakes and snow-packed tracks also provided further tough conditions for dynamics, including the Range Rover’s single-pedal driving capability and air suspension.
The premium wagon’s single-pedal driving – as in using just the ‘power’ pedal on the right – can be used to slow the Rover and charge the battery through regenerative braking while also automatically engaging Hill Hold on any surface. Twin-chamber air suspension is said to better manage body movements brought about by the electric model’s weight distribution.
In news more likely to impress potential Australian customers, Range Rover engineers claim the electric vehicle’s more accurate torque delivery (more precise than with internal combustion powerplants), plus the latest driveline technology, means any traction slip is managed up to 100 times faster than an internal combustion engine vehicle equivalent.
The high-voltage 800V battery is the first to be designed and built in-house at JLR – optimised for energy density, range and charging times while engineered to provide the performance and refinement expected of a Range Rover.
The 117kWh battery is fully encased and smartly packaged, consisting of 344 prismatic cells in a double-stacked layout.
JLR’s engineering director Matt Becker says that in its driving character, Range Rover should seamlessly combine capability and refinement.
“Delivering both in an electric vehicle in a way that doesn’t diminish the vehicle in other areas is incredibly challenging,” Mr Becker says.
“By increasing its torsional stiffness and improving its responses, we’ve been able to maintain a customary Range Rover driving experience that feels familiar. We have delivered on this promise by marrying all the essential Range Rover elements with new and advanced technologies.”
The Range Rover Electric prototypes still have a fair swag of testing to be completed, but it appears would-be customers can place orders toward the end of the year.
