Jaguar Could Be Looking To China For Help On Its Next EV

It’s being reported that Jaguar is planning on investing further in a partnership with Chinese automaker Chery to utilize its hybrid and battery-electric technology to create models in the near future. The Chinese automotive website 36Kr recently spoke with the head of Chery, Yin Tongyue, who revealed, “There is a high probability that two European luxury brands want to use our platform”, with further sources pointing to JLR as the most obvious candidate given the brand’s history of cooperation.

JLR and Chery have a partnership that goes back to 2012 when the two companies embarked on a 50/50 joint venture that saw the British brand grab a necessary foothold in the biggest automotive market in the world with models like an extended wheelbase XF. Since then, the two have continued the partnership, and now it’s believed an electric SUV from Chery’s Exceed automotive brand could underpin a Jaguar product that debuts before the end of the year.

How Jaguar Got Here

Jaguar Land Rover became JLR last year, announcing that Range Rover, Defender Land Rover, and Jaguar would all become fully electrified brands in the next few years. This is nothing new, as just about every automaker has announced a similar goal in the next decade, but the path through has been marred by grand promises and a general lack of delivery on the product. This is perhaps why many American automakers are pursuing partnerships with Chinese companies further ahead in their EV development, and rumors of Jaguar doing the same come as no surprise.

Jaguar has previously said it plans to only sell electrified products by 2030, and strictly BEVs by 2036, but the goalposts have already moved amidst a cooling of the EV industry. EV sales are down across the board, and due to this, JLR CEO Adrian Mardell has already said the company will only unveil four new Land Rover EV models by 2026 instead of the previously announced six. On top of this, the focus has been shifted away from fully-electric models towards PHEVs.

What Will This Joint-Jaguar Look Like?

The company is investing billions over the next few years to see its electric dreams come true, but that leaves gaps in the short term in many markets around the world. All we know is this new product will be an electric SUV, with good chances it will spawn a PHEV variant. But we can’t deny the company needs some excitement quickly since it’s not only axing its V6 engines but the XF and F-Type nameplates in the coming months. There’s a significant chance whatever model the two collaborators are planning won’t ever see the light of day on this side of the Pacific and will most likely be used to bolster the brand’s Chinese lineup.

As of right now, its most exciting vehicle on the horizon is a four-door fully-electric GT supposedly planned for a late 2025 debut. This will be a halo electric model with a $125,000+ price tag. Perhaps this will be the full-bore luxury model that will bring customers back to the storied brand. We have to wait until 2025 to find out.