The Jaguar is Going Electric
As more car companies look to become more environmentally friendly, you can add Jaguar to the list of those jumping on the electric bandwagon.
Revealing their first ever electric design at a party in Los Angeles, Jaguar’s I-Pace promises to pack the same kind of punch loyal followers of the brand have come to know and expect. Except this time, it will run off a 90kWh lithium battery that can be charged nearly as fast as a smartphone (about 90 minutes to reach 80%).
This SUV will get you as far as 220 miles on a single charge and has a nice 400 horsepower engine with 516 pounds of torque on its 197bhp motor. At this pace, you can hit 0-60 in about four seconds flat.
Extra Breathing Room
Despite its 5-seat, mid-size frame and appearance, the Jaguar I-Pace is roomier than the average SUV and looks more like a car on the outside. This is due to the lack of a combustion engine that takes up a lot more room in conventional vehicles. Passengers will have a lot more room to enjoy while
This means you get the sports car experience driving a family-friendly and environmentally friendly SUV. And that’s the point. Jaguar’s mission is to make electric cars desirable to the public.
“As the charging infrastructure continues to develop globally – and with enough range to mean most people would only need to charge once a week – cars like the I-PACE Concept will make drivers appreciate that an EV can be rewarding and practical enough to drive every day,” said Ian Hoban, Jaguar’s vehicle line director.
The inside of this Jaguar is just as sleek and pleasing to the eyes as the outside with slimmed seats, a floating middle console, and a nice 12-inch cockpit screen for navigation and other multi-media use. Since the I-Pace is continuously connected to the internet, you will have many options at your disposal, from listening to online music stations to watching movies.
Attention to Detail
Underneath the car, you’ll find it sitting on a skateboard-esque chassis designed to keep the center of gravity low. The double-wishbone air suspension and motors on every wheel helps this Jaguar glide smoothly and silently over the open roads.
Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover’s technical development leader, describes how they build the I-Pace from the ground up: “This is an uncompromised electric vehicle designed from a clean sheet of paper: we’ve developed a new architecture and selected only the best technology available. The I-PACE concept fully exploits the potential EVs can offer in space utilization, driving pleasure, and performance.”
The I-Pace is scheduled to make its debut to the showroom floor around mid-2018 and will cost about $70,000. Jaguar will be competing with the Tesla Model 3, which is expected to drop around the same time.
“This isn’t just a concept. It is a preview of a five-seat production car that will be on the road in 2018. This will be Jaguar’s first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of our brand,” said Ian Callum, Jaguar’s director of design.