JLR revives Freelander name for new range of electric cars
Autocar's vision for a new electric Freelander model
JLR and joint venture partner Chery will build new "mainstream" EVs in China, with plans for global sale
JLR will resurrect the Freelander name for a new line of electric cars in China - and plans to eventually export them worldwide
The new models will be built on architecture supplied by the company's joint venture partner Chery, which currently builds the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace and long-wheelbase versions of the XF and XE saloons.
The two companies have been partnered for 12 years, and will now "strengthen" the Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) product offering with a new range of bespoke electrified models built in the far-eastern city of Changshu.
"The new model of collaboration leverages fully both parties' complementary strengths," JLR said, "with Chery holding a leading automotive market position in China while JLR has unrivalled heritage and design strength – creating mutually beneficial prospects for the future."
Sold under the Freelander brand, these new models will be seen as "independent from both Chery’s existing portfolio and JLR’s modern luxury House of Brands".
They are described as being designed and engineered for the "mainstream", and while they will be sold exclusively in China initially, JLR says they will be exported globally "over time", without giving further details on planned markets or timelines.
JLR CEO Adrian Mardell said: "Today we are taking this important strategic step for JLR, one which underlines our ongoing commitment to China and complements our existing business in China.
"We believe that working together to develop new models of collaboration for the world’s largest and fastest-growing electric vehicle market, combined with the appeal of the Freelander brand, promises a very exciting future for CJLR.”
Neither company has given any technical details, but widespread reports in Chinese media say that the platforms will be shared specifically with Chery's premium brand Exeed.
One, they say, will be the M3X platform developed in partnership with Magna International. This structure – used by the Exeed RX and Chery Fulwin T10 SUVs – can accommodate both pure-combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but it is anticipated Freelander cars will only offer the latter.
Chery's latest 'Super Hybrid' PHEV drivetrain combines a petrol engine with a pair of electric motors in the gearbox – a set-up Chery refers to as a world-first – with a large-capacity battery supplying an EV-only range of up to 99 miles.
The other architecture is known as E0X, and is engineered for battery-electric and range-extender drivetrains, with an 800V charging architecture and the option of front-, rear- or four-wheel drive.
Both architectures have a variable wheelbase and can be used for both crossovers and lower-slung models, but JLR has yet to confirm whether Freelander will remain an SUV-only brand.
Chery's range-extender (REx) technology is likely to have been particularly attractive to JLR given the surging popularity of the format in China; from January to September last year, sales of REx cars – known there as extended-range EVs (EREVs) – soared by 157% to 400,000 units.
Conventional PHEVs remain more popular outright, but REx sales are growing quicker - in part because buyers can take advantage of many of the same incentives as pure-EV owners, while retaining a combustion engine for added range.