Production I-Pace Finally Revealed Jaguar launches first all-electric SUV by live broadcast.
Jaguar’s all-electric SUV finally revealed
Jaguar has unveiled it first all-electric production vehicle, the I-PACE, challenging Tesla’s dominance of the luxury electric car market.
British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall, TV presenter Jonny Smith, and American tech guru iJustine, hosted a special show broadcast live on 1 March 2018 at Plant Graz, Austria, where the car will be built as part of Jaguar Land Rover’s manufacturing partnership with Magna Steyr.
With its 0-60mph in 4.5sec and a 298-mile range between charges, the UK-designed and engineered I-PACE has a state-of-the-art 90kWh Lithium-ion battery, using 432 pouch cells. Owners will be able to achieve a 0-80 percent battery charge in 85 minutes using current DC public charging (50kW). The I-PACE will also be fully compatible with DC rapid chargers (100kW) when the technology is rolled out across the UK later in the year, which will enable a 0-80 percent charge in just 40 minutes. Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same state of charge in just over ten hours – ideal for overnight charging.
Ian Hoban, the I-PACE’s vehicle line director, announced, “For I-PACE customers fuel stations are a thing of the past; after its overnight charging, they’ll wake up every morning with a ‘full tank of fuel’.”
Two Jaguar-designed electric motors – which feature driveshafts passing through the motors themselves for compactness – are placed at each axle, producing a combined performance of 400PS and 696Nm, and all-wheel-drive all-surface traction. As a result, the I-PACE can reach 60mph faster than the Tesla Model X. Added Hoban, “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 bespoke EV aluminium architecture uses advanced riveting and bonding technology to deliver a light, stiff body structure. Together with the structural battery pack, it has a torsional rigidity of 36kNm/degree, the highest of any Jaguar.
The battery is placed centrally between the two axles, as far down as possible, to give perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity. Together with the advanced double wishbone front and integral link rear axle with (optional) air suspension and configurable adaptive dynamics, this delivers agile handling and outstanding ride comfort.
Designed by a team lead by Ian Callum, the I-PACE’s coupe-like silhouette is said to have been influenced by the Jaguar C-X75 supercar. Whether or not that’s true, the short, low bonnet, aero-enhanced roof design and curved rear screen do make for a handsome car.
While a mid-sized SUV, the I-PACE’s cab design and EV powertrain means interior space is comparable to large SUVs: in the rear, legroom is 890mm and there’s a useful 10.5-litre central storage compartment in place of the transmission tunnel. In the rear, tablet and laptop stowage is found beneath the seats, while the rear luggage compartment offers a 656-litre capacity, or 1,453 litres with the seats folded flat.
The I-PACE introduces the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, which combines touchscreens, capacitive sensors and tactile physical controls. Touch Pro Duo is intuitive to use, too. It uses Smart Settings technology, driven by AI algorithms, to identify individual driver preferences and tailor the I-PACE’s driving and interior settings accordingly, while a new navigation system assesses the topography of the route to the destination and uses insights from previous journeys – including driving style – to calculate an exceptionally accurate personalised range and charging status The I-PACE will launch an Amazon Alexa skill (Alexa is Amazon’s voice service and provides capabilities, or skills, that enable customers to create a more personalized experience) that will allow owners to ask the device for information held in the Jaguar InControl remote app – such as whether the car is locked, what the charging level reads, and whether there is enough range to get to work.
The SUV will be the first Jaguar to provide software over the air, providing seamless updates to ensure owners always have access to the latest infotainment, telematics and battery energy control software.
- Starting at £63,495 in the UK (excluding Government incentives), the I-PACE is available to order now in S, SE and HSE derivatives alongside a First Edition, which was inspired by the design of the original concept.
