Freelander 8 Electric SUV Revealed In Production Form; To Get 350 kW Fast Charging

After announcing the revival of Freelander nameplate as part of a joint venture with Chinese Automobile giant Chery, British carmaker JLR has unveiled the official images of the first car under the brand. The Freelander 8 will be the first offering from the now Electric-only brand and will be presented first in the Chinese market as a luxury and tech-laden all-terrain SUV which will have boxy proportions, much like its predecessor.

The Freelander 8 looks pretty similar to the concept 97 on which it is based, ensuring its rugged appeal. It is built on a new architecture called iMax which apart form electric also has the capability to accommodate plug-in hybrid technology. According to the brand, the battery on the SUV can be charged at speeds of up to 350 kW.

Also Read: Chery Land Rover Freelander Concept 97 Previews First Model Under Revived Nameplate

Technical support has also come from Huawei whose Qiankun ADS 5.0 system will be offered as standard on the SUV. The Chinese tech major will offer its 896-Channel LIDAR on the Freelander 8 enhancing its Autonomous driving capabilities. Qualcomm will chip in too with its new-gen snapdragon 8937 chip ensuring faster software processing in the vehicle.

The design part of the new vehicle is largely JLR’s contribution while technology has majorly come from the Chinese giant. The JV announcing the transformation of converting the Freelander into an all-electric brand was announced in March. Over the next five years six new electric cars under the Freelander brand will be launched in China and the markets across the world. Global headquarters of the Freelander brand have been established in Shanghai.

(Interior pictures are from Concept 97 model)