SETTING THE PACE
JAGUAR UNVEILED: IS THIS THE SPARK THAT COULD IGNITE COVENTRY’S ‘MOTOR CITY’ DREAMS?
COULD this be the car that paves the way for Coventry to reclaim its historic title as the UK’s motor city?
Jaguar Land Rover has taken a huge step towards an all-electric future with the unveiling of its ground-breaking Jaguar I-Pace.
The I-Pace is the first electric vehicle produced by the Coventry car maker, which has pledged to have electric versions of all its models by 2020.
Jaguar Land Rover has also voiced its hope Coventry could become the centre of its electric car making plans.
That is a long-term vision rather than a short-term plan and with the I-Pace being made in Austria, at least initially, it will not be happening overnight.
Jaguar Land Rover says the I-Pace, which has been designed as an electric vehicle from the ground up, will offer “sustainable sports car performance, next-generation artificial intelligence technology and fiveseat SUV practicality to place Jaguar at the forefront of the EV revolution”.
The sports car performance comes courtesy of blistering acceleration, which will take the I-Pace from a standing start to 60mph in just four-and-a-half seconds.
The I-Pace’s agile handling is boosted by aluminium architecture which delivers Jaguar’s most rigid body structure yet with 50:50 weight distribution.
Power comes from a 90kWh Lithium-ion battery which offers a range of up to 298 miles.
The I-Pace will also be capable of rapid public charging from 0-80% in 85-minutes.
The battery powers twin motors which between them deliver 400PS.
Orders are now being taken for the I-Pace, which will cost from £63,495 in the UK.
Jaguar says its coupe-like silhouette is influenced by the Jaguar C-X75 supercar with a short, low bonnet, aero-enhanced roof design and curved rear screen.
I-Pace features include the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, which aims to be intuitive through a combination of touchscreens, capacitive sensors and tactile physical controls.
There’s also a new high-tech EV navigation system. Specially designed for ‘electric’ motoring it assesses the topography of a route and insights from previous journeys – including driving style – to calculate personalised range and charging status with pin-point accuracy for maximum driver confidence.
Another new technological feature is Amazon Alexa Skill, which will enable owners to ask an Alexa-enabled device for information held in the Jaguar InControl Remote app.
For example: Is my car locked? What is the charging level? Do I have enough range to get to work?
The I-Pace will also be the first Jaguar to provide software updates over-the-air.
Jaguar Land Rover will build the I-Pace in Austria as part of a manufacturing partnership with Magna Steyr.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Where other companies talk about the future, we build it.
“We have torn up the rule book to create the newest member of the Pace family, the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace.
“With zero tailpipe emissions, no CO2 and no particulates, it moves us dramatically closer to our vision of a clean, safe and sustainable future.”
I-Pace vehicle line director Ian Hoban said: “We set out with a clean sheet approach to harness new battery electric technology with an architecture engineered from the outset to optimise performance, aerodynamics and interior space. The result is the I-Pace – a true Jaguar and truly driver-focused EV.
“For I-Pace customers – fuel stations are a thing of the past, after overnight charging they’ll wake up every morning with a ‘full tank of fuel.’”