2. One charge, one island – driving the Jaguar I-Pace around Mauritius
One high-performance, all-electric SUV. One charge. One island. Ready, set, go!
Lush sugarcane fields that seem to stretch on infinitely, dreamy turquoise water and palm-tree-lined beaches. Postcards really do come to life in Mauritius.
Taking a road trip along the coastline of this Indian Ocean island, from Bel Ombre to Port Louis, through Grand Baie and Belle Mare down to Souillac, was an enticing prospect. Taking this road trip in the zeroemission Jaguar I-PACE, the iconic marque’s first pure electric vehicle, even better.
The aim: To drive the I-PACE around the circumference of the island on a single charge (one of the car’s key selling points is its 470km range).
Having already experienced the I-PACE’s impressive acceleration on the open highway (0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, for starters), the more confined and winding roads of Mauritius presented an exciting challenge.
An early start from the luxurious Tamassa hotel took us to Heritage Awali Golf and Spa Resort, our meeting point for the journey ahead. Joined by our guide, Lucas Camangue, who would share his vast knowledge of Mauritius with us throughout the day, we set off towards the nation’s capital.
Meandering silently and smoothly along coastal roads, we slipped past pristine beaches with fishing boats dotted along the shore, making our way through small villages lined with flamboyant, a summerblooming tree bursting with bright red flowers. Our first stop was the bustling
Central Market in Port Louis. Here, we had the opportunity to sample the island’s fresh fruit and veg, rotis filled with fragrant curry, gateauxpiments (Mauritian chilli cakes), and alouda, a refreshing milk-based drink that quickly cools us down, even in 35°C heat.
As we left the capital, navigating the island’s many traffic circles allowed us to really test the effectiveness of the I-PACE’s regenerative braking system. The system maximises the SUV’s range and encourages single-pedal driving. In high regenerative mode, when you lift off the accelerator, the decrease in speed as the system harvests energy is so intense that you hardly ever use the brakes. And even when you do, it also has a system to reclaim energy.
From Sunset Café and Trattoria in the popular village of Grand Baie, our next stop was for ice-cold coconut water at the SALT of Palmar, a 5-star boutique hotel in Belle Mare that has become known for its focus on sustainability, as well as bold use of colour and pattern courtesy of French designer Camille Walala.
The final stint of the challenge saw us turn back down towards the south, reaching Heritage Awali with a healthy charge still indicated on the I-PACE’s large, crisp dashboard display. In fact, employing the vehicle’s regenerative braking abilities maximised the range to such an extent that we beat the figure set the day before. Challenge accepted and vanquished!
Outstanding performance may be one of the I-PACE’s impressive characteristics, but battery range remains one of the key factors persuading car owners to switch from internal combustion to electric-powered vehicles. Our single-charge road trip around this beautiful island certainly proved that the new Jaguar can put your mind at ease.