Land Rover says plug-in hybrid Range Rover on the way

Think of it as an SUV for the environmentally conscious gentry.

Land Rover might make a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) version of its Range Rover as early as 2015, UK's Auto Express reports, citing Jaguar Land Rover Hybrid Technology Chief Engineer Peter Richings.

Land Rover, whose Jaguar affiliate has already produced a PHEV prototype that gets an estimated 73.5 miles per gallon equivalent, is eying the Range Rover as a possible production PHEV because the model's buyers would likely be able to afford the cost of the new technology. Richings said the model would debut sometime between 2015 and 2020.

Land Rover confirmed at its 2013 model unveiling in September that it would get a hybrid variant that would pair a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with an electric motor. That model, which won't be available in the U.S., will have 333 horsepower and 45 miles per gallon (on the more lenient European driving cycle). Land Rover said in April that it may also get an extended-range plug-in variant as early as 2014. Pictured above is the diesel-powered hybrid Range_e concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.




Source: Autoblog Green