JLR’s hybrid vehicle sales surged 29% in the first half of FY25, with the luxury automaker reporting that customers are increasingly using plug-in hybrid models as a transition pathway to full electric vehicles.
The company’s flagship Range Rover brand saw its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) retail sales jump by 47%, while the rugged Defender’s PHEV variant recorded a 23% increase compared to the previous financial year. This growth builds on JLR’s strong PHEV performance in FY24, which saw a 59% year-on-year increase.
The sales boost comes as JLR prepares for its electric future, with over 48,000 customers already on the waiting list for the upcoming Range Rover Electric. The company’s strategy appears to be paying off, offering buyers a practical bridge between traditional combustion engines and full electric vehicles.
“PHEVs offer performance, fuel economy and low emissions, with zero emissions while driving in pure electric mode,” explains Mark Camilleri, Director of Electrification Services at JLR. “They also give clients the opportunity to adapt to a new ownership experience, including home and public charging, ahead of the launch of our next generation fully electric vehicles.”
JLR’s current PHEV lineup is particularly compelling for daily use. The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport PHEVs can travel up to 113km in pure electric mode – significantly exceeding the UK average daily driving distance of 32 kilometres.
The company’s modular longitudinal architecture (MLA), which underpins the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, allows JLR to offer internal combustion, plug-in hybrid, and soon, battery electric options on the same platform. This flexible approach appears to be resonating with buyers who want to experiment with electrification without completely abandoning familiar technology.
RETHINKING THE HYBRID TRANSITION
While many view PHEVs as a compromise, the sales data tells a different story. These aren’t just gap-fillers in JLR’s lineup – they’re actively shaping how luxury car buyers approach electrification. The 113km electric range of current Range Rover PHEVs means owners could potentially handle weeks of typical commuting without using any petrol, while still having the capability for long-distance travel.
The numbers reflect this pragmatic approach: JLR’s 59% year-on-year PHEV sales growth in FY24 suggests that luxury car buyers aren’t just waiting for full EVs – they’re actively choosing hybrids as a deliberate strategy. This challenges the common narrative that PHEVs are merely a stopgap technology. Instead, they’re functioning as a practical learning platform for users to understand charging behaviors, range management, and electric driving dynamics.
The 48,000-strong waiting list for the Range Rover Electric, notably built up during a period of strong PHEV sales, indicates that hybrid ownership isn’t deterring buyers from full electrification – it’s actually enabling it. For context, many of these reservation holders are likely current PHEV owners, suggesting that the hybrid experience is successfully converting luxury car buyers to electric evangelists.
As part of its broader sustainability strategy, JLR aims to offer pure electric variants across its Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender collections by 2030, while Jaguar will become an all-electric brand. The company has set ambitious targets for carbon neutrality across its supply chain, products, and operations by 2039.
