Look! The fly new Range Rover Electric has gone dune-bashing

Range Rover has been testing its new electric SUV in the Arabian desert in what it’s calling ‘Dynamic Desert Climbs’. Which rather sounds like an excuse to take it dune bashing for a few evenings.

No problem with that of course, because the experiments include scaling the ‘Big Red’ dunes located right in the centre of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert, with some standing as tall as 300ft (or the height of the Statue of Liberty).

The cleaner, greener new Rangie is then required to ascend these dunes up to five times per test without showing any drop in performance, with a particular focus on its new thermal management system’s ability to keep working efficiently.

We should add that temperatures frequently exceed 50 degrees out there (with 90 per cent humidity), making Al Badayer the perfect natural testing spot. And yes, we feel sticky just thinking about the heat too.

Built atop the new Modular Longitudinal Architecture with a dual-electric motor powertrain, four-wheel drive and an advanced terrain response system, it’s claimed to be on par with the ICE versions where output is considered, even surpassing them in some quarters. The electric Range Rover that is, not Al Badayer. We have no idea if Al Badayer is built atop a modular architecture.

For some perspective, the current Range Rover ‘SV’ packs a 606bhp mild-hybrid V8 that’s good for 0-62mph in 4.5s and a top speed of 162mph. It’ll be interesting to see just how closely the EV gets, considering the added infrastructure will likely increase its weight from that of a small island to that of a small moon.

Another nifty instalment is a new type of torque management system that more effectively manages wheel slip. Apparently, it cuts the torque reaction time at each wheel from 100 milliseconds to a single millisecond. Because 100 milliseconds is already such a painstakingly long time.

Range Rover has also previously tested the Electric in -40 degree temperatures around the Arctic Circle, so we’re expecting it to be just as good at the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ mantra its combustion-powered sibling does so well. More as we get it.