Jaguar offers a wide selection of powerful and elegantly styled sport sedans and SUVs, but the vehicles have failed to stand out in what no doubt is a crowded playing field.
To turn things around, Jaguar will reboot itself as a pure electric brand and has set itself a target of 2025 for achieving this goal.
Under a strategy known as Reimagine, announced by new Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore on Monday, Jaguar will develop its own dedicated electric-vehicle platform to help distinguish its lineup from those of Land Rover which in the future will use platforms (MLA and EMA) supporting both electric and hybrid powertrains.
2021 Jaguar XJ spy shots - Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Jaguar's decision to develop a new EV platform means the new electric XJ originally due in 2020 (prototype above) has been canceled, as it was being developed on the MLA platform which is being made a Land Rover-only asset. We could still see an electric XJ in the future as Jaguar is unlikely to retire such a significant nameplate.
Land Rover won't be left out in the EV transformation as the SUV brand by the end of the decade will offer an electric option on every model it sells. The first electric Land Rover is targeted for launch in 2024, and within five years the brand will have six EVs in its lineup.
Not all of the EVs will necessarily be battery-electric vehicles as JLR is developing hydrogen fuel-cell technology, too. The automaker is also known to be developing lightweight vehicle structures to offset the weight of EV tech in a consortium known as Tucana. It's all part of the automaker's plan to have net zero carbon emissions by 2039.
Jaguar Land Rover Tucana Project
The Reimagine strategy will also see JLR further leverage its ties with its Indian parent company Tata Group. There will be increased sharing of technologies across the group, including in the areas of data and software development which is increasingly becoming a core requirement for the car industry.
JLR won't close any of its plants, though the volumes at some may be reduced. This won't be the case at the main plant in Solihull, United Kingdom, where the future electric Jaguars will be built alongside MLA-based Land Rovers. The first MLA-based Land Rover will be a redesigned Range Rover due out shortly.
The Reimagine strategy is a radical plan but Jaguar's sales are struggling, due mostly to a sedan-heavy lineup. At the same time, demand for EVs is on the rise, due in part to improvements in the technology and generous government incentive programs. Some countries are also preparing to ban the sale of vehicles powered solely by internal-combustion engines, including the U.K. which has set a 2030 target.
