Freelander will first arrive in Europe with plug-in hybrids

Image: Freelander (illustrative)

Freelander, a joint venture between Chinese manufacturer Chery and the JLR group, is preparing to expand into Europe. After already being launched in China and the United Arab Emirates, additional countries are set to be targeted next.

The joint venture is the result of a restructuring of an existing partnership. As part of this, production in the People’s Republic will shift from previous JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) models for China to Freelander vehicles, utilizing technology from Chery. The products include electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and range-extender electric vehicles.

The European markets targeted are Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. No information is available yet regarding distribution partners or a specific timeline.

According to Automobilwoche, the first model for Europe is the plug-in hybrid SUV Freelander 8, which is positioned in the premium segment. The technical specifications for export markets differ from those of the Chinese version: the battery capacity is reduced from 60 to 34 kWh, resulting in an electric range of 110 kilometers instead of 310 kilometers under the unrealistic Chinese CLTC standard. Additionally, a 2.0-liter engine replaces the previous 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine, yielding a system power output of 454 kW/617 horsepower.

Chery has invested approximately 394 million euros in modernizing its plant in Changshu to enable the production of electric models. Under this partnership, JLR is responsible for design and receives licensing fees per vehicle, while Chery handles global sales.

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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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