Production of Plug-in Hybrid Range Rover On the Horizon

Land Rover has recently announced its intentions to move forward with a production model plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV. This news comes via Jaguar Land Rover Hybrid Technology Chief Engineer Peter Richings.

It seems that a PHEV Range Rover model has emerged as the likely candidate for production, given that the added costs of green technology will not discourage as many potential buyers in the Range Rover demographic. An existing Jaguar PHEV prototype currently gains an estimated 73.5 miles per gallon, offering a glimpse at what may be possible with a PHEV Range Rover. Richings projected that the plug-in Range Rover would make its debut between 2015 and 2020.

Land Rover’s efforts in green technology have been well received thus far. The company’s “Range_e” PHEV prototype received the 2011 Award for Automotive Innovation by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for producing the first full-size, luxury, all-wheel drive vehicle to feature a plug-in hybrid system. The Range_e prototype boasted an impressive 85 miles per gallon.