Electrification won’t be a barrier to personality in future SVO-tuned electric Jaguars, according to Managing director of Jaguar Land Rover special Operations, Michael van der Sande, while a lot more – and a lot more economical – SV-badged models could be on the way.
Jaguar will become an all-electric brand from 2025, while Land Rover is aiming for 60 per cent of its sales to be pure-electric from 2030, but despite the switch to electric propulsion removing one of the big attributes from a performance or luxury car – so far a crucial element in the appeal of JLR’s SVO products – van der Sande believes that “character is not just about powertrain.”
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He told automobile express that, “Clearly the V8 supercharged engine we use today is exceptionally characterful and gives a distinct personality, but while electrification is a lot more seamless than that – because that great sound isn’t there, the character of a V6 or a V8 – you can have all sorts of stuff, like multiple motors, torque vectoring and electronic E-diffs.”
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Van der Sande believes that straight-line 0-60mph performance is the least crucial quality for any EV, but that how a car behaves and drives will be a lot more crucial to Jaguar.