The Jaguar I-PACE has been on sale since 2018, during which time it has done remarkably well and has been awarded titles like World Car of the Year as well as European Car of the Year, among many others. It has only just gone on sale in Malaysia today and Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia (JLRM) can offer it at under RM500,000, thanks to the government exempting battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from duties.
Priced at RM460,800 (without insurance) for the Black LE and RM498,800 for the HSE, the I-PACE is Jaguar’s first BEV and has been designed and developed almost entirely in the UK. Ralf Speth, the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover when the I-PACE was launched, said that the development team had ‘torn up the rulebook to create the newest member of the PACE family’.
Very often, you would read about how technology developed for racing cars eventually gets transferred to production models sold to the public. The new technology has been proven in the extreme conditions of racing and before it is used in production models, it is refined and most importantly, tested thoroughly for durability and reliability.
But here’s an example of the reverse taking place – from production model to racing car. Engineers at Panasonic Jaguar Racing have taken a technology used in the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric SUV for their racing cars in the single-seater all-electric championship series.
Traffic Sign Recognition system
The technology is from the Traffic Sign Recognition system (TSR) but the principles are adapted for a very different purpose: to monitor the battery status of the I-TYPE and competitors’ racing cars – automatically and in real time. This data can then be used to determine the optimum energy strategies for the drivers.
TSR uses an advanced stereo camera and image processing software to detect and read road signs, informing drivers of speed limits, temporary speed limits, and no-overtaking restrictions. This information is also used by the Adaptive Speed Limiter system, helping drivers stay within the permissible speed by automatically slowing the vehicle down, if necessary, when entering areas with a lower limit.
Learnings from the system help the engineers understand when to push and when they can afford to ease off – optimising energy management throughout a race. Adopting digital vision systems with image recognition as the enabler for the new energy strategy modelling process delivered a step-change in speed, accuracy and flexibility compared to the tools used previously, and is future-proofed to make even more detailed analyses possible in seasons to come.
Racing to improve vehicles
The technology transfer is one example of advances in Jaguar’s road cars being used to support success on the track. This advantage is complemented by the on-going application of knowledge gained from the extremes of racing to improve vehicles such as the all-electric I-PACE.
One of the most significant benefits to date – underpinned by invaluable learning gained from the I-PACE eTROPHY race series and Formula E – was a software update to the I- which gave customers worldwide up to 20 kms more real-world range from a full charge. This was delivered though further optimisation of battery management, thermal systems, regenerative braking and all-wheel drive torque distribution.
The on-going collaborative partnership between engineers in Jaguar Racing and those working on core Jaguar vehicle programmes ensures that knowledge, processes and technologies continue to pass from road to track and also vice-versa.
The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE has been voted ‘Car of the Year’ at the European Car of the Year Awards 2019. This is the first time a Jaguar has won the coveted prize. The European Car of the Year jury comprises 60 motoring journalists from 23 countries, and the award recognises technical innovation, design, performance, efficiency and value for money.
Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “For our first electric vehicle to also be the first Jaguar to win European Car of the Year gives us a huge sense of pride. I-PACE was designed and engineered in the UK from a clean sheet of paper. It is the most technologically advanced battery electric vehicle. It’s a true game-changer. Winning European Car of the Year is an honour and real recognition of what our world-class team has delivered.”
Designed and developed in the UK, the Jaguar I-PACE has had profound sales success globally, with more than 8,000 customer deliveries to date – 75 per cent of them in Europe*. Nothing else on the road looks or drives like the I-PACE. It is engineered to take full advantage of its electric powertrain and bespoke aluminium architecture, offering sports car performance and SUV practicality.
Charging is made easy for customers using the Jaguar public charging service, accessed via a dedicated app or using an RFID key. With tailor-made charging packages and tariffs compiled into a simple monthly bill, it gives I-PACE customers access to more than 85,000 charging points throughout Europe.
The I-PACE has received 55 awards worldwide since it was revealed a year ago, including German, Norwegian and UK Car of the Year, BBC TopGear magazine EV of the Year, China Green Car of the Year, and Autobest’s ECOBEST Award.
For more information on the I-PACE, visit www.jaguar.com
Jaguar is taking a bold step in electric racing by supporting a feeder series to Formula E called I-PACE eTrophy series. It’s a single make series which, beginning in 2018, will see 20 Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racers fill the grid for the 10-race season.
Based on Jaguar’s first all-electric car, the I-PACE, these racers will be custom built by the automaker’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team in Warwickshire, UK. Based on what we can see, they will probably build upon the current design of the I-PACE.
Aerodynamic upgrades including lightening the chassis and and the addition of spoilers will be part of the upgrades. There will also be an FIA certified roll cage, safety harnesses as well as other components. This zero emission Motorsport series is the first of its kind outside Formula E.
These cars will race around the same circuits as the Formula E ones and their events will be held on the same race weekends as that of the main race series for the entire calendar year. This new all-electric series will also help to shine a spotlight on the talent of the up and coming racing drivers.
Speaking of the new series, Gerd Mäuser, Chairman, Jaguar Racing, said: “Jaguar returned to racing in 2016 with the mission ‘Race to Innovate’. With the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY we have strengthened our commitment to battery electric vehicles, international motorsport and Formula E. As a British team, we are proud to announce today the launch of the world’s first production battery electric vehicle championship.”
He later added, “We’ve always said we want to prove our electrification technologies on the track – this is the proof. I am looking forward to seeing a full grid of Jaguar I-PACE racecars in late 2018, soon after the first Jaguar I-PACE hits the road in Europe. Ultimately this innovative series will enhance the technology in our future electric vehicles and benefit our customers.”
The British based automaker has participated in Formula E since last year, making it the first premium vehicle manufacturer to enter the racing series. And now, its commitment to this single make series leads us to believe that Jaguar is heavily invested in electric vehicles as being the future of personal and commercial mobility.
Jag’s latest moves are a nod to the British Government’s rather heavy-handed approach of banning petrol and diesel cars from city streets by 2040. Though forward thinking, it will take awhile before current Motorsports fans can be lured away from the visceral excitement that surround the current racing series.
Jaguar’s I-Pace Concept has been named Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2017 at the 16th North American Concept Vehicle Awards. Apart from that, it also bagged the award in the Production Preview Concept of the Year category.
Speaking of the accolade, Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, said, “Our challenge was to design an electric vehicle that’s distinctively and unmistakably a Jaguar – and one which demonstrates that an electric vehicle can be visually dramatic as well as practical.”
He then added, “I think that the Jaguar I-Pace Concept has done exactly that, and is clearly at the forefront of the trend for more beautiful, more desirable electric vehicles. We’re very proud of it, and we’re delighted that the North American jurors have recognized us for succeeding in our mission.”
The award ceremony was held at the Concours d’Elegance of America, an upscale automotive event that plays host to a gathering of the elite as well as car shows and competitions. But the point of the North American Concept Vehicle Awards, is to give recognition to vehicles that will most likely shape the future of the automobile industry.
More than a dozen jurors were responsible for picking out the awards’ winners. They were involved in a selection process that included a total of 24 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this year’s motor shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York.
See, the I-Pace concept is a precursor of the soon to be launched I-Pace road vehicle. It was meant to ready us for the road going all-electric version that is said to blend suave looks with with respectable performance and practicality.
It is slated for release sometime during the second half of 2018, which isn’t that far away. And unlike automakers like GM or Nissan, EV territory is considered uncharted waters for Jaguar. As such, there is a lot at stake with the I-Pace, because its success will determine how well Jaguar EVs of the future will be perceived by the general public.
