Jaguar reveals I-Pace Concept, the electric SUV

The Jaguar I-PACE Concept previews a production car that will hit roads in 2018. It will be the smartest five-seater sports car; a performance car, a family car and an SUV all in one. Its groundbreaking design, true Jaguar performance and competitive range and charging times will make it the first real electric alternative to a traditional premium SUV. The car features two incredibly compact electric motors designed by Jaguar Land Rover. Integrated into the front and rear axles, they offer a combined power output of 400PS and 700Nm of torque. Together they also enable all-wheel drive, improving dynamics and traction on all surfaces and in all weathers. With over 500km range on the NEDC cycle, the average user could charge just once a week. Charging is easy and quick, with 80 percent charge achieved in 90 minutes and 100 per cent in just over two hours using 50kW DC charging.

For over 80 years, Jaguar has been globally renowned as a maker of beautiful sports cars. Cars that have always been relevant, at the cutting-edge of technology and exciting to the senses.

The I-PACE Concept is the smartest five-seater sports car and the start of a new era for Jaguar. It’s as daringly designed and innovative as the cars that put Jaguar on the map, with technology that enhances our customers’ lives. It sets a template for others to follow, just as we have always done.

The Jaguar I-PACE Concept is the first step towards our future. The future is now.

The Jaguar I-PACE Concept previews a production car that will hit roads in 2018. It will be the smartest five-seater sports car; a performance car, a family car and an SUV all in one. Its groundbreaking design, true Jaguar performance and competitive range and charging times will make it the first real electric alternative to a traditional premium SUV.

Jaguar’s design and engineering teams have taken full advantage of the opportunities presented by electrification: a cab-forward, sporting driving position, exceptional interior space and, of course, zero tailpipe emissions and instant acceleration. The battery pack and motors have been designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover to deliver outstanding efficiency.

With over 500km range on the NEDC cycle, the average user could charge just once a week. Charging is easy and quick, with 80 percent charge achieved in 90 minutes and 100 per cent in just over two hours using 50kW DC charging.

The interior features premium materials and beautiful, tactile details that highlight British craftsmanship at its best. There is digital craftsmanship too, with two, super-intuitive touchscreens that serve up information where and when the driver needs it. Packed with proven Jaguar sports car technology, the I-PACE Concept features exceptional ride quality, authentic handling and a 0-60mph time of around four seconds.

The I-PACE Concept is, however, something altogether new: not a traditional sports car, saloon or SUV and absolutely not a traditional Jaguar. Yet his approach to its design is absolutely traditional Callum (Ian Callum – Director of Design Jaguar); it’s informed by a sense of history, his scholarly understanding of form language and, inevitably, that overwhelming sense of enthusiasm.

“People tell me they think the car is going to change,” he starts. “Well, as long as we’ve got eyes in our heads and sit the way we do in cars they’re not. What changes with a battery electric vehicle is the absence of mechanical machinery sitting in particular places. That’s the opportunity.

“Now, if you give a designer a natural proportion of a sports car, they will tend towards a mid-cabin. We like the idea that people are sitting between the wheels. The old-fashioned notion was of people sitting behind the wheels, as it was with a horse and carriage. Suddenly, cars took on a completely new proportion in designers’ eyes. Mid-cabin is now the default silhouette designers want.”

Callum is of course best known for front-engined cars, but he’s nothing if not unsentimental. Not to mention adamant.

“My favourite is still C-X75; you work around what you have. It liberates you to be able to put the people - who set the visual volume of the car more than anything - where you want them to be, which naturally is further forward. It’s practical to do so also; you get more space between the wheels when you’re not constrained by the engine package. But also we don’t like to see a lot of mass over the back of the car. You want to push that mass forward, otherwise the car looks like it’s falling back. That’s just an instinct and so it was incredibly gratifying to have had the opportunity to do just that with the I-PACE Concept.”

Electric motors provide immediate response with no lag, no gearshifts and no interruptions.

Throughout the process of creating Jaguar’s first purpose-built electric vehicle, the engineering team worked to a simple, single-minded mantra: the I-PACE Concept had to be a true driver’s car.

To reach this goal, the I-PACE Concept features two incredibly compact electric motors designed by Jaguar Land Rover. Integrated into the front and rear axles, they offer a combined power output of 400PS and 700Nm of torque, which is exactly the same torque rating as the F-TYPE SVR. Together they also enable all-wheel drive, improving dynamics and traction on all surfaces and in all weathers. “Electric motors provide immediate response with no lag, no gearshifts and no interruptions,” says Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director at Jaguar Land Rover.

“Their superior torque delivery compared to internal combustion engines transforms the driving experience. With 700Nm and the traction benefits of all-wheel drive, the I-PACE Concept accelerates from 0-60mph in around four seconds.”

The I-PACE Concept delivers searing performance, unrivalled ride and handling characteristics. To achieve this, it uses the sophisticated double wishbone and Integral Link suspension setup proven in the XE, XF and the F-PACE.

It will stop just as efficiently, too: an electric brake booster replaces the normal vacuum servo, ensuring maximum flexibility in the brake system control and maintaining excellent pedal feel.

The I-PACE Concept’s electric motors andLithium-Ion battery are designed to deliver the best possible performance and range. The I-PACE Concept delivers a range of more than 500 kilometres on the NEDC cycle and, using 50kW DC charging, achieves zero-to-full charging capability in just over two hours; 80 per cent charge capacity is reached in just 90 minutes.

With this kind of range and efficiency, there’s no doubt the I-PACE Concept is an electric vehicle that will perform in the real world and compete with vehicles powered by the best internal combustion engines.

The I-PACE Concept accelerates from 0-60mph in around 4 seconds.

Photos: Jaguar