Jaguar calls its first all-electric I-Pace Concept a "[smart] five-seater sports car; a performance car, a family car, and an SUV all in one." But we think it's a dead ringer for the Tesla Model X. Except, of course, for the Tesla's three-row seating and funky, trouble-prone falcon-wing rear doors.
Dig deeper and you'll find that Jaguar wants the I-Pace EV to have a competitive driving range and charging times to rival even the mighty Tesla. With a 90-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and motors designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover, the company projects that the all-wheel drive I-Pace will deliver around 220 miles of cruising range and suggests the average user would need to charge the vehicle just once a week. The company claims the I-Pace can get an 80 percent charge in 90 minutes and 100 percent charge in just over 2 hours using 50-kW DC charging.
To give these numbers some perspective, our tested Model X (with its 90-kWh battery) delivered about 230 miles in warm-weather driving. Using a Tesla dedicated wall-mounted 48-amp charger, it took about 9 hours to recharge the big 90-kWh battery if you started at a 50-mile range level. Charging with a normal 220-volt charger takes longer.
As for performance, the I-Pace is said to deliver a luxurious ride and Jaguar-pedigree handling. The I-Pace's acceleration is generated from the electric motors' 516 lb.-ft. of torque and 400 hp to produce a company-claimed estimate of about 4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Our Model X did the dash in 4.9 seconds.
The interior will come with Jaguar's usual elegance but with a definite high-tech bend, including two touch screens in the center console and a "virtual" instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. The I-Pace also gets a panoramic glass roof and front and rear luggage space.
Jaguar says the I-Pace production car will hit roads in 2018. Pricing was not disclosed.
