Jaguar’s reset has been so dramatic that it still feels a little surreal. The brand built its final gas-powered F-Pace at Solihull in late 2025, closing the book on roughly 90 years of internal-combustion history, and it has been effectively sitting out the market while it retools for its next chapter. That next chapter is expected to arrive in the form of the wild-looking Type 00, a long-hood, four-door GT that’s supposed to relaunch Jaguar as an EV-only luxury player. Now, a fresh rumor suggests the plan might not be as black-and-white as we’ve been told.
A report out of the UK claims Jaguar engineers have explored adding a small combustion engine to the Type 00, not to drive the wheels, but to act as a generator that tops up the battery on the move. That setup is typically called a range-extended EV, and it’s designed to calm the biggest fear some buyers still have about going electric: what happens when you’re far from a charger or you do big highway miles in freezing weather. The Type 00 has been linked to healthy EV range estimates already, but the report suggests Jaguar may want the option of an even longer-legged grand tourer, more like something you’d confidently point toward another state without staring at a charging map.
Here’s where it gets messy, because Jaguar Land Rover has pushed back hard. Autocar says a senior source called the range-extender talk “rubbish,” and other outlets report that a Jaguar spokesperson insists the plan to reinvent Jaguar as an electric-only luxury brand is unchanged. In other words, Jaguar is saying the Type 00 stays pure EV, full stop. At the same time, the rumor refuses to die because it fits the shape and mission of the car so well: a big, dramatic GT aimed at high-end buyers who expect effortless long-distance capability.
The range-extender idea is not new, and it’s not the same thing as a traditional hybrid. Think of it as an EV that carries a small onboard power station. You drive on electric motors all the time, and the gas engine only exists to generate electricity when needed. BMW flirted with the concept years ago with the i3 REx, and more brands have been revisiting similar solutions as they try to bridge the gap between EV performance and real-world convenience. The big question for Jaguar is packaging and platform design, because a dedicated EV architecture can make adding any combustion hardware a major engineering headache.
Even if Jaguar never puts a generator under the Type 00’s long hood, the broader JLR family is clearly paying attention to range-extenders. The company is already tied to plans that revive the Freelander name through its partnership with Chery, and those future models have been linked to electrified powertrains that include range-extender variants. So for now, the Type 00 story is best treated as a live rumor with a firm denial, but it’s also a reminder that the EV transition is still evolving in real time. If Jaguar’s relaunch is going to land with traditional GT buyers, it needs to deliver not just speed and style, but the kind of freedom that makes a grand tourer feel like a grand tourer.
Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive professional with a proven track record of leading successful ventures and providing strategic consultation across the automotive industry. With years of hands-on experience in both business operations and market development, Darryl has played a key role in helping automotive brands grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape. His insight and leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted expert, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts reflect his deep knowledge and passion for the business side of the car world.
