Rumour has it that Jaguar is busily working away on an extended-range electric version of its upcoming 2010 Jaguar XJ four-door.

The all new XJ is set to be revealed around July, before hitting dealerships towards the end of this year. Reports indicate that a plug-in version will be available a year later.

The electric XJ will carry a similar setup to the Chevy Volt, with the XJ also capable of running entirely on batteries for a defined period, with recharging coming from the grid or an on-board petrol engine.

According to sources, the XJ-EV is expected to be capable of a minimum 48km (30miles) of pure electric driving with a top speed of almost 180km/h (112mph).

Fuel economy of 4.9 l/100km (57mpg) is also expected while C0² emissions should be as low as 120g/km.

Lotus Engineering, MIRA and Caparo will work closely with Jaguar to develop the electric power-train technology.

All of this will be thanks in part to a AUD $623 million (£307 million) loan cleared by the European Investment Bank to assist Jaguar Land Rover with the development of greener vehicles.

In addition, Jaguar Land Rover is also working on full hybrids, micro-hybrids, smaller diesel engines, and turbocharged petrol engines to further improve the fuel economy of its fleet.

[Source: Autocar]