Electric shock: Jaguar cars will ditch fossil fuels from 2025

The Jaguar Land Rover group’s switch to electric will occur over the next few years, in a significant image overhaul for the brand.

You might think of both Jaguar and Land Rover as being gas guzzlers for different reasons; the luxury high-performance of the former, and the rugged off-roading ability of the latter. But by 2025, all Jaguar cars are set to be electric, while Land Rover will have six electric options by the same date as part of the “Reimagine” strategy launched by the automotive group.

Thierry Bolloré, CEO, launches new Reimagine strategy.

See us reimagine the future of modern luxury. Over the next five years, @LandRover will welcome six all-electric variants and @Jaguar will undergo a renaissance as a pure electric luxury brand.https://t.co/EcJzaiSk9Y pic.twitter.com/Lp1DdKeuBB

— Jaguar Land Rover (@JLR_News) February 15, 2021

So while leopards might not be able to change their spots, it turns out that Jaguars are not quite so averse to a new start.

Inspector Morse’s brand of choice occupies a unique place in British popular culture, often being associated with a none-too-flattering stereotype, from John “Two-Jags” Prescott to this memorable skit on Top Gear about what it’s like to be the owner of a “Jaaag”:

But with all the marque’s range soon switching to electric, they might be less likely to be associated with the suave but slightly sleazy image and instead be seen as more streamlined and svelte.

Jaguar’s first electric car, the I-Pace, was released in March 2018 while Land Rover’s first will be launched in 2024. Overall, the brand has pledged to have net zero carbon emissions by 2039, and zero tailpipe emissions by 2036. Forbes reported that the announcement “makes Jaguar the biggest legacy OEM to commit its future to electric cars, following similar announcements from Volkswagen Group-owned Bentley and BMW Group-owned Rolls-Royce.”

However, Jaguar Land Rover will still face plenty of competition in the electric car market; back in December it was reported that more Tesla Model 3 vehicles were registered in the UK than any other model, making it the country’s most popular car overall that month.