Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has admitted it cannot build an electric Range Rover that offers the same blast protection as its current armored gasoline models. That means the Range Rover Sentinel, the security SUV used by high-profile clients including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, will remain combustion-powered for now. The problem? UK law requires government departments to have fully electric fleets by 2027.
The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate
Land Rover
The UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires carmakers to meet strict targets: 28% of sales must be electric by 2025, rising to 100% by 2035. JLR says it cannot meet those rules with the armored Sentinel. Vehicles like these must survive armor-piercing rounds, grenade attacks, and even TNT explosions, which adds huge amounts of weight. While JLR hasn’t spelled out the exact issue, the combination of extra armor and large battery packs can’t guarantee sufficient blast protection. Yet, there’s a compact electric Defender and a new fully electric Range Rover scheduled to launch soon. In other words, JLR is embracing EVs where profitable, but its most secure vehicle remains an exception.
Land Rover
Falling Behind the Competition
JLR’s reasoning becomes harder to defend when rivals are proving otherwise. BMW has already launched the i7 Protection, an all-electric armored sedan certified against explosives and high-caliber fire. In the U.S., Lucid teamed up with US Armor Group to create a fortified Air Sapphire capable of taking heavy fire while still hitting 200 mph and delivering more than 400 miles of range. These projects show that while engineering armored EVs is difficult, it is not impossible. As a result, it looks like JLR is lagging behind competitors who have already been there, done that.
Land Rover
Hypocrisy of the “Luxury Fortress”
The Range Rover Sentinel is marketed as a “luxury fortress on wheels,” able to withstand bullets and blasts up to 15 kg (33 lb) of TNT. Yet in 2025, its biggest vulnerability is not firepower but legislation. The Prime Minister’s own fleet of Sentinels will remain gasoline-powered while everyday drivers are pushed toward electric cars. The irony is hard to ignore. If the rest of the UK is expected to go electric under strict mandates, why should the country’s top official ride in a gasoline SUV? Unless JLR finds a solution to the weight and safety puzzle, the Prime Minister’s next armored car may come with a different badge.
