Jaguar will build its own EV platform

Jaguar will develop and build its own battery-electric platform instead of sourcing it from another automaker or supplier, Jaguar CEO tells Autocar.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bolloré revealed this week that the automaker plans to create its own EV platform in-house, Autocar reports, instead of acquiring one from a supplier or another automaker as had been planned earlier. Dubbed Panthera, the EV platform will underpin several electric Jaguar models, with the automaker seeking to avoid sharing major components or vehicle shapes with other automakers.

Jaguar rolled out its electrification strategy, dubbed Reimagine, last February, aiming to introduce only new battery-electric models starting in 2025, ahead of corporate sibling Land Rover. At the time Jaguar indicated that one of its future EV platforms would be the Electric Modular Architecture (EMA) architecture, and which would underpin a number of midsize electric SUVs, as well as Land Rover models.

Not all current Jaguar models are expected to survive the transition to an all-EV lineup, as Jaguar hinted earlier. The XE and XF sedans are expected to merge into one sedan offering, which could be a midsize sedan. Meanwhile, longer-term plans for a range-topping sedan remain murky, as Jaguar had canceled a Tesla Model S competitor whose design and engineering were basically completed, making the decision to shelve it at the last minute. autoweek.com