JLR confirms electric Jaguar GT car and major changes for Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is officially becoming 'JLR' as it sidelines the Land Rover marque and focuses on the roll out of a new range of electric vehicles (EVs).

Speaking at a company update presentation, CEO Adrian Mardell confirmed the rebranding of the company away from Jaguar Land Rover and instead becoming a "house of brands" with cars created under Range Rover, Discovery, Defender and Jaguar names.

Gerry McGovern, JLR's chief creative officer, said the move had been made for "clarity" and that customers already referred to their vehicles this way, rather than as "Land Rover Range Rover".

"The reality is Range Rover is a brand and so is Defender,” McGovern explained. “Customers say they own a Range Rover. In luxury, you need absolute clarity.

“We love Land Rover, but there isn't as much equity as Range Rover, and Defender is increasing massively.” 

The traditional green oval Land Rover badge is not being scrapped entirely, however. JLR said it will remain as a "trust mark". The badge will continue to appear on the brand's vehicles, albeit not part of their official name.

The changes come as part of a £15bn investment in the company's future.

Clarity on Jaguar's future

Two years after Jaguar revealed its intention to become an EV-only brand by 2025, the car maker has finally hinted at what its future model line-up may look like.

Currently, the Jaguar line-up consists of just one EV, the I-Pace, and company bossed have remained tight-lipped about what the brand's future will look like.

Jaguar has announced that it will launch an electric four-door GT car with a 430-mile range and a price tag of around £100,000, by 2025.

The car will be the first of three new electric Jaguars to hit the road.

Production of the new model will take place at JLR's plant in Solihull, near Birmingham, as a part of a wider shake up of production and factories. 

Prototype models are expected to commence testing on public roads later this year, with customer deliveries to take place in 2025.