Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the West Midlands-based, Indian-owned automotive group, has reported a 29% increase in global sales of its PHEV models for the first half of its financial year, ending in September.
This shift towards hybrids reflects changing consumer priorities, with many buyers opting for PHEVs as a transition step towards full EVs. JLR sees PHEVs as a “stepping stone” technology, enabling customers to familiarise themselves with electric driving while alleviating “range anxiety” through a hybrid petrol engine. For longer journeys, the hybrid system switches seamlessly from electric to fuel, providing flexibility for those uncertain about fully committing to an EV.
PHEVs are becoming a popular choice in the UK market, where hybrid sales have risen by 26% this year, surpassing diesel’s share. JLR’s Defender and Range Rover models have seen particularly strong demand, with global PHEV sales up 47% for Range Rover and 23% for Defender, building on a 59% increase in global PHEV sales in the year to March. In the UK alone, JLR’s PHEV sales reached 20,800 units, a 55% rise from last year.
Mark Camilleri, JLR’s electric vehicle programme director, highlighted that PHEVs provide an introductory ownership experience that includes both home and public charging before buyers consider transitioning to fully electric vehicles. Currently, JLR’s Range Rover PHEVs offer an electric-only range of 70 miles—well above the UK driver’s average daily mileage of 20 miles—allowing for zero-emission daily commutes in urban settings.
Looking ahead, JLR has committed to introducing fully electric models of the Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery by the end of the decade. Jaguar, JLR’s sister brand, will go fully electric next year, signalling the group’s dedication to electrification while balancing consumer needs for hybrid solutions in the meantime.
Jamie Young
Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the 'covid era' and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine's coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk
