Is this the most interesting electric car on the market?
In the past 5 years, EV manufacturing and design has gone from zero to 60. Now we are starting to see real contenders arriving on the scene. But which is the best car your money can buy?
In a world first, audiences in London and LA were joined using the latest virtual reality technology for the launch of the electric concept SUV. Using virtual reality headsets, members of the press were given the chance to actually sit in the concept car and experience it first hand.
But, whereas many were only expecting to be treated to a concept design, Jaguar shocked audiences by announcing that the I-Pace would be in production and on the roads by 2018.
Jaguar’s decision to embark upon the electric market comes after the announcement that their first ever SUV, the F-Pace, had posted a +74% sales increase for the company, winning Bloomberg’s coveted “Hottest Brand” award in the process.
Jaguar’s decision to embark upon the electric market comes after the announcement that their first ever SUV, the F-Pace, had posted a +74% sales increase for the company, winning Bloomberg’s coveted “Hottest Brand” award in the process.
A cab-forward design allows the I-Pace to combine the traditional Jaguar haunched wheel arches with a supercar silhouette. Without the traditional petrol engine and transmission, there is also enough room to position the axles at the very corners of the chassis.
Likewise, the integration of two electric motors enabled both Jaguar’s designers and engineers to tear up the rule book for the car’s interior.
Moreover, the ambitious design is matched by similarly impressive technical specifications. Jaguar predict that their performance SUV will have a range of 500km. The I-Pace’s 0–60mph time is expected to be just four seconds and will take just 90 minutes to achieve an 80% charge.
Ian Callum, Jaguar’s director of design said ‘the I-PACE Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles. It represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. It’s a dramatic, future-facing design — the product of authentic Jaguar DNA matched with beautiful, premium details and British craftsmanship.
‘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 legendary brand.’
