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Britain’s largest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover, has delayed the planned launches of its new electric Range Rover and electric Jaguar models to give it time for more testing and for demand to pick up, the Guardian can reveal.
JLR has written to customers waiting for the Range Rover Electric to inform them that deliveries of the new version of the model will not start until next year, after initially aiming for late 2025.
Two people with knowledge of the carmaker’s plans said that two planned Jaguar models – much anticipated since a viral pink-and-blue rebrand – may also be pushed back by several months compared with original plans.
JLR has been hit by the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs in recent months; this week it reported a 15.1% drop in sales in the three months to June after a temporary pause in exports to the US. It has also opened a voluntary redundancy scheme for up to 500 managers in an effort to save costs.
However, sales are expected to improve after the UK’s limited trade deal with the US provided for lower 10% tariffs on the first 100,000 exports. The company has reported a profit for the past 10 consecutive quarters after a turnaround effort.
The carmaker, owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata, has been more cautious in embracing electric technology than luxury vehicle rivals. That had left it in danger of steep fines for failing to hit UK electric vehicle sales targets, but that pressure has eased after the UK weakened the rules, known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, in response to heavy lobbying by carmakers including JLR.
A JLR spokesperson said: “By 2030 JLR will sell electric versions of all its luxury brands. Our plans and vehicle architectures are flexible so we can adapt to different market and client demands. We are committed to the highest standards of design, capability and quality, and we will launch our new models at the right time for our clients, our business and individual markets.”
Model launch delays of several weeks or even months are not unusual, as carmakers try to align their products to the market.
Getting the launch date right is particularly important for Jaguar, which JLR is hoping to reinvent as an electric-only brand that will appeal to younger, wealthier buyers.
A promotional campaign in December featuring bright pink and blue concept cars spurred a huge wave of interest – as well as a culture war backlash after a teaser trailer featuring a diverse group of models.
The start of production for the first Jaguar electric car since the rebrand, known for now as the Type 00, is set for August 2026, according to a source with knowledge of schedules. Although prices have not yet been confirmed, it is expected to cost more than £100,000. The second Jaguar model may not then follow until December 2027.
A new electric version of the Range Rover Velar is also set to start production in April 2026, although it also could be delayed further, the source said. An electric model under the Defender sub-brand could start production in the first quarter of 2027.
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JLR declined to comment on specific model launch dates.
Two people with knowledge of JLR’s manufacturing operations said the delays had partly been caused by the need to carry out extended testing, because they are the first electric models to to be directly built by the manufacturer. JLR previously sold the electric Jaguar I-Pace, but it was built by a contract manufacturer.
One of the people said the delays may not harm JLR financially, because they will allow the company to continue to sell its lucrative petrol and diesel hybrid versions. People inside JLR have said “the delay has worked in our favour” and “let’s not rush this”, the person said.
Trump’s policies have also made a delay more attractive for JLR, because his administration is actively trying to discourage the shift to electric cars in the US, the manufacturer’s key market. Trump’s brief period of collaboration with the Tesla boss, Elon Musk, has collapsed into acrimony.
JLR’s slower shift to electric vehicles would also align with the start of production by a battery factory being built by Tata in Somerset. The plant, built by a subsidiary named Agratas, is due to start production in the last quarter of 2027, according to Tata Motors’s latest investor call. That is a year later than the company initially planned.
