The Range Rover Sport has officially entered the electric era, but this is no softened-up EV focused purely on efficiency. The new Range Rover Sport Electric EV550 has been engineered to retain the performance character of the combustion-powered Sport while adding serious electric range and even more torque.
South African pricing starts at R3,291,100, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2027.
Range Rover Sport Electric Packs 542 HP
The Sport Electric shares much of its underlying EV technology with the recently revealed Range Rover Electric, including an 800-volt electrical architecture, a 118.5 kWh usable battery and electric motors on both axles.
However, Range Rover has given the Sport a considerably more aggressive setup to separate it from its luxury-focused sibling.
In its most powerful Dynamic mode, the EV550 produces 542 hp (404 kW) and 850 Nm of torque. That torque figure is 100 Nm higher than the 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8-powered Range Rover Sport SV.
Output drops to 493 hp (368 kW) in Comfort mode, while Eco mode limits the drivetrain to 276 hp (206 kW) to maximise efficiency.
Despite weighing around 285 kg more than the V8-powered SV, the electric Sport can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds.
Range Rover has also focused heavily on rolling acceleration, where the instant response from its electric motors should make the EV550 particularly effective when overtaking.
Sharper Chassis And Lower Centre Of Gravity
Electrification has brought some useful benefits beneath the body.
The large battery is mounted low between the axles, helping lower the Sport Electric’s centre of gravity by 73 mm. With the battery incorporated into the MLA platform, torsional rigidity has also increased by 61 percent.
Range Rover has paired this stronger structure with dual-chamber air suspension, active Bilstein dampers and electro-hydraulic Active Roll Control.
The roll-control system can apply as much as 1,400 Nm of torque at each axle to counter body movement, while Adaptive Dynamics 2 continuously manages roll, pitch and other chassis movements.
All-wheel steering is standard too, with the rear wheels able to turn by as much as 7.3 degrees. Torque vectoring through braking further helps the substantial SUV rotate into corners.
One-Pedal Driving Designed For Road And Off-Road Use
Pulling the gear selector back activates the Sport Electric’s one-pedal driving mode.
Rather than tuning the system exclusively around efficiency, Range Rover has developed it to work both on the road and when tackling technical terrain. Precise accelerator response means drivers can control the SUV’s speed off-road without constantly switching between the accelerator and brake pedal.
Regenerative braking is managed using fast-switching silicon carbide inverters, allowing energy to be recovered smoothly as the vehicle slows.
The additional regenerative braking also allowed engineers to fit smaller friction brakes than those used by the V8-powered Sport. Apart from reducing weight, the conventional brakes should see less use and potentially last longer. The discs receive a special nitrogen-based coating to help prevent corrosion.
Range Rover Sport Electric Gets Its Own Sound
Making a high-performance electric Range Rover feel suitably dramatic required more than simply increasing motor output.
The Sport Electric has therefore been given a bespoke artificial soundtrack designed around lower frequencies and a more aggressive character than the Range Rover Electric.
Interestingly, engineers involved in the development reportedly felt the resulting sound had similarities to a supercharged engine.
Visually, Range Rover has taken the opposite approach.
There are no dramatic EV-specific styling changes. The Sport Electric retains the familiar bodywork, with the main differences being a closed front grille, aerodynamically optimised alloy wheels and a revised rear diffuser without exhaust outlets.
Up To 602 KM Of Range
The 118.5 kWh usable battery provides an official WLTP range of up to 602 km (374 miles).
Range Rover is also quoting a more realistic everyday estimate of around 536 km (333 miles), suggesting owners should still be able to cover serious distances between charging stops.
With a suitable 350 kW DC rapid charger, around 219 km (136 miles) of range can be added in just 10 minutes. Charging from 10 to 80 percent takes approximately 22 minutes.
Range Rover Sport Electric Pricing
The new Range Rover Sport Electric is priced from R 3,291,100 for the Range Rover Sport AWD EV 405kW EV550 Dynamic SE, and R 3,609,200 for the range-topping Range Rover Sport AWD EV 405kW EV550 First Edition.
With more than one million Range Rover Sports sold over the past two decades, an electric version was inevitable. What is more interesting is that Range Rover has resisted turning it into a quiet, efficiency-first alternative. Instead, the EV550 appears to have been engineered as a genuine performance derivative in its own right.
For buyers who like the Range Rover Sport but have struggled to justify its considerable thirst, this could be the version that finally makes sense.