JLR to make in-house platform for Jag EVs

Jaguar’s new EV platform will be built in-house, Jaguar Land Rover has said, giving new details of its shift to an all-electric line-up from 2025 under its Reimagine plan.

CEO Thierry Bolloré initially said the company would look externally for a platform to underpin a range of upmarket electric Jaguars, but Bolloré has now told investors that JLR is working on its own platform. Bolloré said JLR cars need a platform that combines design proportions and capabilities not offered by other makers, citing the MLA High platform, used by the Range Rover, and the future EMA platform for smaller Land Rovers.

“Concerning the new Jaguar, we’re making unique proportion a priority,” said Bolloré. “That’s why at the moment we do it by ourselves.” The decision to go it alone on the platform, called Panthera, after the genus of big cats that includes jaguars, is likely related to chief designer Gerry McGovern’s requirement that the cars should look unique as the brand eyes Bentley territory in terms of pricing.

On the investor call, Bolloré said JLR is looking at “significantly” commonalising elements across all future JLR platforms as it shifts to a lower-volume, higher-value future.

“The new control points, the batteries, the electric motors, the software on board [and] off board – all that is creating real scale,” he said.

Bolloré said the plan for Jaguar is to create “distinct cars with no overlap”. They will be “really modern luxury cars that are the copy of nothing in style or design, the top of technology and refinement, but not looking backwards”.

Jaguar will shift to an all-electric line-up in 2025. Jaguar is shifting upmarket.