Land Rover halts sales of two key plug-in hybrids

Land Rover has halted sales of two key plug-in hybrids as the automaker works to reclassify the emissions ratings of both cars.

Land Rover's websites in the UK and Germany state that the Evoque and Discovery Sport P300e plug-in hybrids "are not currently available to order."

Land Rover has had to raise the SUVs' stated CO2 emissions figures above the original amount promised when they went on sale in April.

"Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not yet in a position to deliver the previously communicated best-case WLTP combined figures," Land Rover said in a statement.

Land Rover previously said the Evoque P300e's CO2 was as low as 32 grams per km and the Discovery Sport P300e was as low as of 36 g/km.

Land Rover now says the lowest emitting model records 44 g/km and has an electric range of 43 km (27 miles), compared to 66 km previously. The automaker declined to say which model reaches those levels.

The company said it aims to improve those figures in future versions.

"Work is ongoing, as the business emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, to deliver the extended electric range and lower CO2 figures," Land Rover said, adding that the two SUVs "remain among the segment leaders" on range and economy.

Orders are schedule to restart on Oct. 26, the company said.

The sales halt is a blow to parent Jaguar Land Rover, which was counting on the SUVs to help push the automaker's fleet CO2 below the limit it needs to reach, which is 132 g/km, to avoid EU fines this year. The Evoque and Discovery Sport are JLR's two best-selling models in Europe.

A recent analysis by green pressure group Transport & Environment found that JLR was furthest away from reaching its CO2 target based on first-half sales. JLR challenged T&E's calculation that it was still 13 g/km off its target.

A figure below 50 g/km of CO2 for both the Evoque and Discovery Sport plug-in hybrids would mean the cars continue to qualify for supercredits under the European Union system, helping Jaguar Land Rover cut its average.

Customers writing on an Evoque owners forum in the UK have complained that deliveries of their ordered cars have been delayed.

One customer, posting as Hopefully 300e, wrote this week that his Discovery Sport plug-in hybrid was built in September but was still being held at the factory.

A UK Land Rover retailer told Automotive News Europe that the dealership's demonstrator model won't arrive until November. Land Rover said some dealers will start receiving their models "later this week."

The discrepancy in quoted electric-only mileage will mean some Evoque customers in the UK, Land Rover's biggest European market, will pay more company car tax than they initially thought under a scheme that incentivizes longer-range plug-in hybrids.

Ford has also struggled with its plug-in hybrid rollout after its Kuga variant with the powertrain had to be recalled in August to fix a problem that could potentially start a battery fire.

Ford had to stop sales of the Kuga PHEV and said on Thursday it would have to pool with another manufacturer to help hit its CO2 targets  this year because of the delay.

In response, Ford has offered customers a 500 euro fuel card to compensate for not being able to charge their vehicles while it works to fix the problem.

Jeep meanwhile had to delay the rollout of its plug-in hybrid vehicles, including the Renegade, due to the coronavirus shutdowns.