Motorsport has made I-Pace a better EV
Data from eTrophy racing has given I-Pace owners more range, says Jaguar. David Linklater reports.
Long-planned update or a case of motorsport truly improving the breed?
We may never know, but Jaguar says that experience from its I-Pace eTrophy racing series has resulted in an update for the I-Pace that could improve range by 8 per cent.
The eTrophy was launched in 2018 as the world’s first ‘‘all-electric production-based international race series’’. The entire field is made up of special Jaguar I-Pace models, to a specification created by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations.
Drivers include New Zealand’s Simon Evans.
The company says change derived from the eTrophy programme for the production I-Pace include changes to the torque distribution of the AWD system in Eco mode, greater use of the active radiator vane system, and updates that allow the battery to run at a lower state of charge without affecting driveability, durability or performance.
The vehicle’s brakes now harvest energy more efficiently when the battery is in a high state of charge and the amount of energy recovery has been increased at lower driving speeds to maximise efficiency and range.
Changes to the predictive range calculation algorithm will deliver a more accurate and consistent estimate of vehicle range, while being more reflective of an individual’s driving style
While the update does not alter the I-Pace’s official WLTP range figure of 470km, Jaguar says the gains could add up to 20km of range depending on driving style.
New Zealand customers are being invited to take vehicles to their Jaguar dealer to get the update.
The changes will also enable enhanced Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) functionality. After receiving the latest software, more electronic modules will be able to receive remote updates.
The vehicle’s brakes now harvest energy more efficiently when the battery is in a high state of charge and the amount of energy recovery has been increased at lower driving speeds to maximise efficiency and range.