Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore isn't trying to make Jaguar's turnaround, called "Reimagine," easy nor inexpensive. What it appears he's most interested in doing is making sure the turnaround creates a range of Jaguar electric vehicles that exude the historic Jaguar-ness the brand still gets credit for but hasn't been known for in a while. He had told Autocar last year that future products must be "really modern luxury cars that are the copy of nothing in style or design, the top of technology and refinement, but not looking backwards." Since then, the brand had cast around for an existing electric platform created by another automaker or a supplier that it could adopt for Jaguar use, but nothing met the standard. Instead, Autocar now reports the English carmaker will create its own EV platform in-house. Company CFO Adrian Mardell said in an investor call the platform is called "Panthera," which is the scientific name for the genus of large cats that include jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers.

Bollore said, "Concerning the new Jaguar, we're making unique proportion a priority. That's the reason why at the moment we do it by ourselves." Some have fastened on the phrase "at the moment" to suggest the Panthera plan could be temporary. And while that's possible — there have been a lot of temporary plans all over the industry for the past few years — Jaguar is expected to release the first EV in its new lineup in 2025, so the plan couldn't be temporary for long. Slightly under four years from now would be just enough time to create a new mechanical architecture on a new technical foundation to serve a new vehicle. Emphasis on "just."

The Panthera platform makes sense, if Jaguar can pull it off. Bollore wants the coming Jaguars to be considered alongside Bentley and Aston Martin, so he'll need those unique proportions along with brilliant design to draw buyers that haven't considered the brand in ages, if ever. The makeup of the revamped model line remains murky. On the sedan side, it's thought the XE and XF might become a single midsize four-door. The return of a true flagship sedan isn't clear, but it seems a good possibility considering the intended competition and as a differentiator with sister brand Land Rover. As to crossovers, the E-Pace and F-Pace might make the transition to battery power, and a new J-Pace flagship crossover looking unlikely in order to, again, maintain space from Land Rover. The I-Pace, which is already electric but built by Magna Steyr on a modified version of JLR's D7 platform, could be transferred to Panthera or given up. The F-Pace, or some kind of sports car, will carry Jaguar's heritage into the electric-powered future.

Or, if Autocar can be believed, we've already overestimated, the British publication saying the range might merely be two electric crossovers and an electric sports car. That outlook, stickered with Bentley-like prices, if successful, would support Bollore's aim of making a lot more money selling fewer cars.

Jaguar Land Rover has said it will invest £2.5 billion into the switch to electric vehicles, getting good news of late with the government's UK Export Finance department agreeing to guarantee £500 million in loans for the purpose.

It's been more than three years since Jaguar Land Rover outlined its "Reimagine" strategy about embracing electrification. The most controversial bullet point of the plan was about Jaguar becoming EV-only by 2025. That brings us to a new announcement made by a JLR spokesperson in an interview with Automotive News Europe. Before the end of this year, the axe will fall on six cars.

The XE, XF sedan, XF wagon, F-Type, E-Pace, and I-Pace are all going to be discontinued. Initially, Jaguar had said the electric SUV would soldier on alongside the new wave of EVs. However, the company changed its mind and revealed last year the I-Pace would also be killed off together with the gas cars.

Why the rush? Jaguar CEO Adrian Mardell told investors these six models are barely making the company any money, generating "close to zero profitability." He went as far as to call them "lower value" products. The top brass was brutally honest while speaking with investors, saying that "none of those are vehicles on which we made any money." To that end, the final F-Type has already been built.By killing no fewer than six models, Jaguar's lineup will be simplified to just one vehicle. Only the F-Pace is sticking around but its days are numbered as well given the all-electric strategy that's about to unfold. A concept car arrives later this year to preview the EV era with a gran tourer that'll cost over £100,000 (about $130,000 at current exchange rates). A big SUV is also reportedly in the works as well.

JLR is pushing Jaguar upmarket by choosing to focus on lower-volume, higher-profit cars in a bid to go after Bentley. However, the major difference between the two British automakers is that the VW Group brand will continue to sell ICE cars into the next decade. The original plan was to go purely electric by 2030 but the goal was recently delayed by three years.

Tata Motors-owned JLR wants the overhauled Jaguar marque to sell fewer than 50,000 cars annually. All future models will be underpinned by the long-wheelbase JEA electric vehicle platform developed specifically for the troubled brand. The new EVs are expected to have rear-wheel steering, all-wheel drive, and fast-charging capabilities.

A fresh design language with a focus on minimalism is said to make the new models look almost nothing like the outgoing ICE cars. According to Autocar magazine, the iconic leaping cat emblem is reportedly going away, making room for the "Jaguar" name to be spelled out like so many other automakers are doing these days.

Jaguar is making a huge bet by going all-in on EVs while others are having second thoughts about this type of strategy. In addition to dropping combustion engines, the struggling brand is deliberately risking selling fewer cars by substantially increasing prices as it rebrands itself as a Bentley competitor.

Time will tell whether the strategy is going to work given the radical changes at Jaguar to enter an increasingly more competitive EV high-end segment.