Jaguar's Latest SUV is ready to take on Tesla

Jaguar’s first production electric car is almost here. The Jaguar I-Pace will be revealed online on March 1, followed by a debut in the physical world at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. But will the I-Pace be ready to take on the Tesla Model X, and the numerous other luxury electric cars being cooked up by competitors?

Jaguar may have wrapped I-Pace prototypes in camouflage for a recent round of winter testing in Sweden (see above), but there really isn’t much to hide. The production model is expected to stay pretty close to the I-Pace concept car that first appeared at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. That’s a good thing, as the concept had a much sleeker, more appealing look than most SUVs — electric or otherwise.

Like the finished product itself, Jaguar is keeping specifications under wraps for now. But Jag did say that the I-Pace will be equipped with a DC fast-charging system that can recharge the battery pack to 80-percent capacity in under 45 minutes. That’s not bad, but other electric cars currently in production can get an 80-percent recharge in around 30 minutes.

The I-Pace concept car had a 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, affording an estimated range of 220 miles. Front and rear electric motors provided all-wheel drive, as well as a combined 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar said the concept car could do 0 to 60 mph in around 4.0 seconds.