Jaguar I-Pace set to beat rivals into showrooms

Jaguar I-Pace (Courtesy Newspress / Jaguar)

The race to bring a credible, all-electric, premium rival to Tesla to market has been going on for a while now, but Jaguar looks to be winning the race to have its model in showrooms ahead of the likes of Audi and Porsche.

Announcing the intention to build such a vehicle is one thing, but getting it into showrooms in front of consumers is something altogether more challenging. Jaguar made its intentions to produce its first-ever EV clear only as recently as March of this year, when it unveiled its I-Pace all-electric SUV to the world. Jaguar has now committed to it going on sale in 2018, although the British luxury manufacturer has declined to be more specific than that.

Among the Jaguar's rivals, Audi had also said it intended to reveal its own contender next year, the e-tron all-electric SUV, but it's now being reported that production isn't going to commence until at least early 2019. The same source, LMC Automotive, is also saying that the eagerly-anticipated Porsche Mission E electric sedan is ahead of the Audi, but sales are expected to get underway right at the end of 2018, which allows some latitude for the Jaguar to get in there first.

No more details about the I-Pace have emerged since the announcement about it arriving in showrooms next year, but what we do already know certainly bodes well for the model when it does arrive. The Jaguar I-Pace is expected to have a driving range of some 500 km (311 miles) under the latest European Driving Cycle test procedure, and more than 355 km (220 miles) under the tougher U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard. Although not particularly specific, Jaguar says the I-Pace can be charged from flat to 80 percent of a full charge using a 50 kW fast charger in what it describes as a "short break."

The same range has been promised by Audi and Porsche, so getting to market first would give the Jaguar a crucial market advantage over its rivals. The production version of the I-Pace is expected to be unveiled in March at the Geneva Motor Show, although it's not expected to look greatly different from the concept.