Range Rover Sport Electric Makes Its Debut — But Not for American Buyers

Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled its first fully electric Range Rover Sport, a two-row performance SUV that promises sharper handling than its larger Range Rover Electric sibling. The company’s October 1 announcement outlined a machine built around agility rather than outright size, with a substantially stiffer body shell and a center of gravity sitting almost three inches lower than the outgoing plug-in hybrid version. Curb weight stays in the same neighborhood as before, hovering around the 6,000-pound mark.

Underneath, the Sport Electric runs on an 800-volt architecture fed by a 118.5-kWh lithium-ion pack and a pair of 260-kW motors. Combined output reaches 542 horsepower, while torque is rated at 623 lb.-ft. — the highest figure ever fitted to a Range Rover Sport. JLR says that twist builds 50 percent faster than in the bigger Range Rover Electric, a deliberate move to help the SUV tackle steep grades and deliver the kind of instant response that has long been the Sport’s calling card. With Dynamic Launch Mode engaged, the company claims a 0-to-60 mph run of just 4.3 seconds, matching the supercharged V8-powered P540 variant.

Chassis hardware leans heavily on electronic control. A specially calibrated traction control system works alongside dynamic air suspension, active roll control, Twin Valve Dampers and the second-generation Adaptive Dynamics setup, which reads 100 parameters 500 times per second to keep body motion in check during cornering and braking. JLR quotes a real-world range of up to 333 miles based on its own road testing, and says a public rapid DC charger can add as much as 136 miles in ten minutes, or take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in roughly 22 minutes.

Order books are now open in selected markets, with four trim levels on offer: Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography and a First Edition finished in Zadar Grey with a satin wrap, black contrast roof and 22-inch alloy wheels. Range Rover managing director Martin Limpert framed the launch around driver engagement, describing the integrated electric drivetrain as a way to unlock new levels of responsiveness and precision in a sporting luxury SUV.

The catch for American shoppers is simple: the Range Rover Sport Electric will not be sold in the United States for now. JLR confirmed the decision to WardsAuto, leaving the larger Range Rover Electric — which carries a starting sticker of $138,000 — as the brand’s sole battery-powered option stateside. The omission reflects how the company is rationing its electric rollout across regions while it navigates the broader transition away from combustion powertrains.