On the path to carbon neutrality, six EVs to come in 4 years: JLR India MD

We have the full EV starting with the Range Rover around the end of next year, Amba said

British luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover, a Tata Motors arm, is set to bring six new electric vehicles (EVs) to India by 2030. In an interview with Sohini Das, RAJAN AMBA, managing director, JLR India, says there is still demand for ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles but consumers are committed to the battery electric vehicle (BEV). Edited excerpts.

You are doing plug-in hybrids globally. What is your plan for India?

We offer them to our customers in India. However, there is still significant demand for ICE vehicles in this country. The primary focus is largely to bring products in demand -- Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. We have to maximise our investment in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
 

Tell us about your plans to electrify your portfolio.

We have the full EV starting with the Range Rover around the end of next year, followed by the Range Rover Sport, also an EV, in the next few months, and then the first new Jaguar, which will come in the second half of 2025-26. By 2030 we will have nine full EVs, and six of them will come in the next four years or so. We are on the path to carbon neutrality.

We will have to see whether we phase out ICE vehicles or not. We have a superlative technology in terms of battery and car. From India we have about 400 expressions of interest out of 30,000 bookings worldwide for a car (Range Rover Electric set to debut in 2025) no one has seen.

We have been investing in India quietly. We are profitable and are committed to battery EVs.

Are you meeting the Corporate Average Fuel Economy II (CAFE II) norms and what is your opinion on further stringency in the emission norms by 2030?

We are meeting the CAFE II norms. CAFE III is a tough one. There are continuous developments that are happening on this (within the company) on how to be within the prescribed guidelines. I am sure there will be discussion (between the industry and policymakers). A calibrated approach to timelines is important. We have started investing in batteries and powertrains, etc already.

We cannot guess what share EVs will have in our sales by 2030. Consumer behaviour is changing. But if one gives a product with a compelling proposition, there is no reason why the customer would not be interested. Let’s say if we give a range of 700 km -- why will the customer not evaluate? There is a lot of education that brands will have to do on the cost of ownership, and the benefits of EVs.