New Range Rover Electric & Range Rover Sport Electric – PedalBox EV Now Available

The electric Range Rover has finally arrived.

After years of development, Range Rover has launched the first fully electric version of its flagship luxury SUV, closely followed by the new Range Rover Sport Electric.

Both models bring full battery-electric propulsion to the Range Rover family for the first time, while retaining the performance, all-wheel-drive capability and luxury positioning associated with the brand.

DTUK now also lists PedalBox EV applications for both the new Range Rover Electric and Range Rover Sport Electric, giving owners a way to alter and personalise accelerator response without increasing the vehicle’s maximum motor power.

So what has Range Rover actually launched, how do the two electric models differ, and what can PedalBox EV change on an electric vehicle that already produces 850Nm of torque?

Range Rover Electric – The First Fully Electric Range Rover

The new Range Rover Electric is the first production Range Rover to dispense completely with a combustion engine.

Rather than creating a completely separate EV shape or sub-brand, Range Rover has retained the familiar L460 architecture and overall design of the current Range Rover while integrating a fully electric drivetrain.

The headline figures are substantial:

• Up to 550PS
• 850Nm of torque
• Two 260kW electric motors
• 118.5kWh usable battery capacity
• Up to 372 miles WLTP electric range
• 800V electrical architecture
• 10–80% DC charging in around 22 minutes when charging at the vehicle’s maximum rate

Range Rover says the Electric delivers more torque than any previous Range Rover and uses a new traction-management system designed to control how that torque is delivered across different surfaces.

The company has also retained genuine Range Rover capability rather than turning the vehicle purely into a road-focused luxury EV. Range Rover quotes a wading depth of up to 900mm and towing capacity of up to 2,500kg.

That is important because this isn’t simply an electric luxury car wearing a Range Rover badge. JLR has clearly tried to preserve the characteristics that traditionally separate the Range Rover from more road-biased premium SUVs.

Range Rover Sport Electric Arrives Too

The fully electric Range Rover Sport has now also arrived in production form.

It uses closely related electric technology but has been developed with a greater emphasis on chassis response and driver involvement.

The Range Rover Sport Electric is available with figures including:

• Up to 550PS
• 850Nm of torque
• 0–60mph in as little as 4.3 seconds with Dynamic Launch Mode
• 118.5kWh battery
• Up to 378 miles WLTP range
• 800V electrical architecture
• 10–80% rapid charging in around 22 minutes when charging at the vehicle’s maximum rate

Range Rover has given the Sport Electric a stiffer body structure and a lower centre of gravity than the plug-in hybrid versions, together with technologies including Adaptive Dynamics, Twin Valve Dampers, Electronic Active Roll Control and All-Wheel Steering on relevant versions.

It also retains serious off-road ability, with Range Rover quoting up to 900mm of wading depth and the ability to climb 45-degree inclines under appropriate conditions.

Range Rover Electric vs Range Rover Sport Electric

The two vehicles share much of their underlying electric technology, but their characters are deliberately different.

The flagship Range Rover Electric places its emphasis on refinement, comfort and near-silent performance.

The Range Rover Sport Electric uses the same headline 850Nm torque figure but combines it with a more performance-focused chassis setup and faster torque response.

That distinction follows the existing Range Rover family: the Range Rover is positioned primarily around luxury and refinement, while the Range Rover Sport places greater emphasis on driver engagement.

Can You Tune a Range Rover Electric?

Not in the same way that DTUK tunes a diesel or turbocharged petrol Range Rover.

A conventional DTUK engine tuning box works with signals associated with a combustion engine’s management system.

A pure electric Range Rover has no combustion engine, turbocharger or petrol or diesel fuel system, so that type of tuning system is not applicable.

PedalBox EV is different.

It is an accelerator-response controller. It changes the relationship between the driver’s accelerator-pedal input and the signal requested by the vehicle.

It does not increase the Range Rover Electric’s maximum 550PS or 850Nm output.

Why Change Accelerator Response on an EV?

At first this may sound counter-intuitive.

Electric motors can produce torque extremely quickly, so why would an electric vehicle need an accelerator-response controller?

The answer is that maximum motor torque and accelerator-pedal calibration are two different things.

Manufacturers deliberately calibrate the relationship between pedal movement and requested acceleration. That calibration has to take account of comfort, efficiency, traction, different driving modes and a very wide range of drivers.

As a result, an EV can have enormous torque available while still having a deliberately progressive accelerator characteristic.

PedalBox EV allows the driver to alter that characteristic.

It doesn’t create more motor power. Instead, it changes how much pedal movement is required to request a particular response from the vehicle.

PedalBox EV Driving Modes

PedalBox EV has been developed specifically for electric vehicles and offers a number of accelerator-response programmes designed for different driving situations.

These include:

• Long Range – a smoother, efficiency-focused accelerator characteristic
• Comfort – designed for more relaxed and progressive response
• Dynamic – sharper response for more immediate everyday driving
• Performance – the most responsive accelerator characteristic
• Standard – returns the accelerator response to the vehicle’s original characteristic

The response can also be fine-adjusted, allowing the driver to tailor the feel rather than simply choosing between one standard and one performance setting.

The aim is choice and adjustability rather than additional peak power.

Long Range Mode

Long Range mode is particularly interesting on an electric vehicle.

Rather than sharpening accelerator response, it is designed to make pedal inputs smoother and reduce unnecessarily aggressive changes in requested power.

That may be useful in situations such as urban driving, changing speed limits and stop-start traffic where repeated acceleration inputs can have a significant effect on energy use.

Actual energy consumption and driving range will always depend on factors including speed, temperature, traffic, driving style, load, wheel fitment, route and climate-control use, so DTUK does not treat a particular range improvement as guaranteed.

Performance and Dynamic Modes

At the opposite end of the scale are Dynamic and Performance modes.

These increase the sensitivity of the accelerator signal so that the vehicle reacts more strongly to a smaller pedal movement.

Again, the important distinction is that the electric motors are not being given a higher maximum output.

A 550PS Range Rover Electric remains a 550PS vehicle.

What changes is the way the driver accesses the performance already available.

PedalBox EV App Control, Limit Mode and Immobiliser

PedalBox EV can also be controlled using the compatible smartphone app and wireless control system.

Available features can include:

• EV-specific accelerator-response programmes
• Individual response adjustment
• Smartphone app control
• Wireless control
• Limit Mode
• Integrated accelerator immobiliser function
• Individual vehicle calibration

Limit Mode can restrict accelerator response when a more controlled response is desirable.

The immobiliser function provides an additional layer of accelerator control, although it should be regarded as a supplementary feature rather than a replacement for the Range Rover’s original security systems.

DTUK PedalBox EV for Range Rover Electric

DTUK now lists a compatible PedalBox EV application for the new Range Rover Electric.

View the DTUK Range Rover Electric application here.

Because of the way the current DTUK website product system is structured, a compatible electric vehicle may show PedalBox Pro as the selectable product.

For a compatible pure-electric application, the product supplied is the dedicated PedalBox EV.

This is not an engine tuning box and does not increase the Range Rover Electric’s maximum power or torque.

PedalBox EV for Range Rover Sport Electric

DTUK also lists PedalBox EV compatibility for the new Range Rover Sport Electric.

View the DTUK Range Rover Sport Electric application here.

The same principle applies: PedalBox EV changes accelerator response rather than increasing the electric drivetrain’s maximum output.

Does PedalBox EV Alter the Range Rover’s Driving Modes?

PedalBox EV does not replace the Range Rover’s own driving systems.

The vehicle’s original drive modes, traction systems, stability control and electric drivetrain management remain responsible for controlling the vehicle itself.

PedalBox EV operates at the accelerator-input stage, allowing the driver to choose a different pedal-response characteristic before the vehicle’s own control systems manage the resulting request.

This distinction is particularly important on powerful electric vehicles such as the new Range Rover Electric and Range Rover Sport Electric.

A Different Type of Performance Modification

The arrival of 550PS electric Range Rovers changes what the word “tuning” can mean.

With a combustion engine, owners have traditionally looked for additional boost, fuelling, torque and horsepower.

With a high-performance EV already producing 850Nm, the more relevant question for some drivers may be how that existing performance is delivered and accessed.

PedalBox EV gives the driver another level of control over accelerator response without pretending to turn a 550PS Range Rover into something it isn’t.

Range Rover Electric and PedalBox EV – Find Out More

The new Range Rover Electric and Range Rover Sport Electric represent a significant change for one of Britain’s best-known luxury vehicle families.

They retain the familiar Range Rover formula of luxury, capability and strong performance, but achieve it with a fully electric drivetrain.

For owners who want more control over how that drivetrain responds to accelerator input, DTUK now offers compatible PedalBox EV applications for both models.

View the new Range Rover Electric DTUK application.

View the new Range Rover Sport Electric DTUK application.

Read our full guide to PedalBox EV and how it works.

If you’re unsure which product is suitable for your Range Rover or Range Rover Sport, contact DTUK and our UK-based team can help identify the correct application.