cars news 10: Jaguar I-Pace Concept Gets Photon Red Paint Job for Geneva

Jaguar debuted its forthcoming I-Pace last November at the Los Angeles auto show. The first EV from the legendary British automaker, the Jaguar I-Pace represents the future for Jaguar. Now, before the Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar has repainted the concept in a more production-ready color, Photon Red, that ties the I-Pace to the rest of the company’s lineup.

The I-Pace uses the same D7a flexible aluminum architecture as its cousin, the F-Pace. However, the rest has been developed from scratch. The in-house-developed lithium-ion battery pack is supposedly good for up to 90 kWh. The battery cells themselves are wrapped by both heating and cooling circuits to make sure thermal efficiency is always in the green.

Output may not be as stratospheric as Tesla’s Model S or Model X, but power is in the 400-hp, 516-lb-ft range. But because the I-Pace uses most of the F-Pace’s architecture, the double-wishbone front axle and multilink rear suspension will likely give the I-Pace the same type of dynamic abilities as the superb F-Pace.

Additionally, according to Jaguar, “we put an end to range anxiety by achieving over 220 miles between charges.” Jaguar also claims that when hooked up to a normal AC wall outlet, the I-Pace will need only about 90 minutes to reach 80 percent of max power. However, Jaguar is also working on a faster DC charger and a wireless inductive charging option.

As for the design, Jaguar’s chief designer Ian Callum said in a release, “Because we’re still in the phase when every Jaguar must be instantly identifiable as a Jaguar, we kept the family face largely unchanged for the electric vehicle, so that more people get to know and understand the brand.” But most of the I-Pace’s design aesthetic has been crafted to better slice through the air and increase its range — it only has a 0.29 drag coefficient.

This concept won’t be just a concept for long, however, as we’ve already seen Jaguar testing I-Pace mules with nearly identical body pieces. The I-Pace will definitely compete with other all-electric luxury vehicles in price, as the I-Pace is expected to cost nearly $90,000.

“The I-Pace Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles,” said Callum. “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.”

You can check out the I-Pace on the Jaguar stage at the Geneva Motor Show and customers can now register with Jaguar to be one of the first I-Pace owners through the company’s website.

Source: Jaguar