Silencing the roar: Jaguar cars to go all-electric by 2025

Drivers who love the rumble and roar of high-powered combustion engines may be faced with fewer choices to spend their money on in a few years time.

Luxury Jaguar cars will be entirely electric by 2025, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced on Monday, as it joined a global race to develop zero-emission vehicles.

The prestigious company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, said its Land Rover brand will launch six pure electric models over the next five years, with the first one hitting the road in 2024.

Shares in Tata Motors rose by 3% after the announcement.

Jaguar faces the same challenges as many other high-end carmakers: making the transition to electric vehicles while retaining the feel and power of a luxury combustion engine model.

JLR said it will keep all three of its British plants open as it electrifies its range. “It’s time to re-imagine the next chapter for both brands,” chief executive Thierry Bollore said.

Bollore, who took over as CEO in September, said JLR will spend around US$3.5 billion annually on electrification technologies. The company is also investing in developing hydrogen fuel cells in anticipation of a future shift to hydrogen to power vehicles.

The carmaker will have prototypes using hydrogen fuel cells on Britain’s roads within the next year, it said, as part of a long-range investment plan.

Car manufacturers worldwide are pursuing zero-emission strategies to meet stringent carbon dioxide emission targets in Europe and China.

Luxury car brand Bentley, owned by Germany’s Volkswagen, said in November its model range will be fully electric by 2030, and last month American automaker General Motors said it aims to have a zero-emission portfolio of brands by 2035.