One year after showing the electric SUV concept at the LA Auto Show, JLR has headed back to the area to carry out final range and durability tests ahead of its launch in 2018.
Thousands of potential customers have requested to place a deposit or have registered a strong interest in the new electric SUV. Not only will they be at the front of the queue when order books officially open in March, but a few have even been allowed to accompany Jaguar engineers on the final validation tests.
One passenger, Ann Voyer from Pasadena, questioned whether the I-Pace would have enough range to complete her favorite road trip along California’s West Coast. Engineers took her on a long-distance range test on one charge only to prove that the answer to her question was ‘yes’. The prototype was driven for 200 miles from Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, to Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo.
Ian Hoban, vehicle line director, said, “After 1.5 million global test miles, the I-Pace is ready for production and is proven to deliver long distances on a single charge. Jaguar’s first battery electric vehicle will also be fast to charge; our target is a 0-80% charge being achievable in a short break.”
