Ultimate Discovery

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that all new vehicles it produces will feature some form of electrification from 2020.

The British manufacturer made the announcement at its inaugural Tech Fest event in London.

Ralf Speth, CEO of JLR, said: “Every new Jaguar Land Rover model line will be electrified from 2020, giving our customers even more choice.

“We will introduce a portfolio of electrified vehicles across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrid cars and SUVs. Our first fully electric performance SUV, the

Land Rover has revealed the latest vehicle to come out of its Special Vehicle Operations department – the Discovery SVX.

The SVX is billed as the ultimate all-terrain Land Rover Discovery. Power comes from a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that develops 518bhp and 460lb/ft of torque, while a number of suspension modifications help to enhance driver confidence on tricky off-road terrain. Land Rover has increased the SVX’s ground clearance compared with the regular Discovery, and has also fitted large-diameter all-terrain tyres. There’s a tuned version of the manufacturer’s Terrain Response 2 system, Hydraulic Active Roll Jaguar I-Pace, goes on sale next year.

“We are not just preparing for the future but delivering it.”

The British manufacturer isn’t the only car maker that has its sights set on an electric future. Mazda confirmed at its Global Tech Forum earlier this week that it would electrify its vehicle line-up by 2035.

A spokesperson said: “By 2035, the Mazda range will consist of varied forms of mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric models, but this will not replace the combustion engine.” Control (H-ARC) and even a rear-mounted winch. The H-ARC system provides the off-roader with greater wheel articulation and body control, ultimately improving off-road traction and reducing body roll for better on-road performance.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover chief design officer, said: “The combination of design excellence and engineering integrity inherent in every Land Rover is the foundation of everything we do.

“The Discovery SVX reinforces Land Rover’s unrivalled reputation for building vehicles with true all-terrain capability for customers who desire the ultimate in off-road performance.”

From 2019, the Japanese manufacturer will start introducing electric vehicles and other electric drive technologies in regions that use “a high ratio of clean energy for power generation or restrict certain vehicles to reduce air pollution”.

In July, the UK Government announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles would be banned by 2040 as part of its clean air strategy, forcing manufacturers to adopt electrification on new models in some form or another.