Range Rover unveils its first EV that can swim through deep water

Range Rover has finally unveiled its first fully electric SUV and the luxury vehicle comes with a surprising off-road ability: it can drive through water up to 900mm deep.

The new Range Rover Electric has been developed to retain the off-road capability of its petrol-powered siblings while replacing the engine with a fully electric powertrain.

Under the bonnet, or rather beneath the floor, the EV gets a 118.5kWh battery and two electric motors producing a combined 550bhp.

That is enough to push the large luxury SUV from 0 to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds, while its 372-mile WLTP range puts it firmly among the more powerful electric SUVs.

But the feature likely to grab the most attention is its ability to tackle deep water.

The Range Rover Electric can wade through up to 900mm of water, with the battery, electric motors and high-voltage electronics effectively submerged during the process.

If the suspension detects that the vehicle is getting close to floating, it can raise the SUV by another 60mm from its normal maximum ride height.

It is pertinent to note that Range Rover has not simply converted its existing SUV into an EV. The company spent years developing the electric powertrain, including testing prototypes in extreme conditions.

The vehicle uses an 800-volt electrical system and can accept charging at up to 350kW, allowing the battery to go from 10% to 80% in around 22 minutes.

Despite all the changes underneath, the new EV looks remarkably similar to the familiar Range Rover design. The grille has been blanked off, while changes to the wheels and underbody help improve aerodynamics.

The Range Rover Electric starts at £154,070 in the UK and will be built alongside combustion and plug-in hybrid versions at the company's Solihull plant.