Model constructing
Cameron would not be drawn on particular product plans past the model’s first EV, however when requested how huge a possible Defender line-up might grow to be, he mentioned: “Large.”
That’s more likely to embody a number of powertrain choices given what Cameron known as “the complexity of EV adoption”, which ends up in the extent of buyer demand lagging behind the expectation of legislators. That is a problem given Defender’s international footprint: a majority of its UK gross sales are at the moment diesel, whereas its greatest market is now the US, the place electrification is firmly on the again burner. The significance of the US market is more likely to have steered the addition of hybrid energy to EMA.
“Our technique is to supply as a lot alternative for so long as we will,” mentioned Cameron.
“Clearly with the Defender, due to the capabilities, toughness, the burden and the geometry of it, so long as we will maintain promoting petrol and diesel with hybridisation and different types of interim expertise, we’ll proceed to take action.”
The Defender is at the moment supplied with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, however that’s constructed round a four-cylinder engine and has a restricted electrical vary, as a result of the D7 platform wasn’t designed for the expertise. Cameron hinted that will change in time, saying: “We’ll be counting on future generations and totally different architectures to increase these kinds of applied sciences.”
Notably, Cameron mentioned Defender’s rising worldwide focus might Affect its line-up: “Past the UK there are automobile varieties which are completely appropriate [for Defender in certain geographies. The US is now our biggest market, and there are product categories popular there we can absolutely bring Defender into.”
That suggests a revival of previous plans to develop a Defender pick-up given the size of that market in the US, although Cameron wouldn’t expand on specifics.
But he noted that growth could also come at the other end of the range, because “in Europe they need small cars for tight streets”.
He added: “The red line we’ve got to draw is that any future versions of Defender still have to have the same characteristics that every Defender needs. There’s no reason you can’t go smaller, bigger, longer, higher and still cover those bases.
