Living the Electric I-Pace Dream in Africa. Testing the Car. And the Mode
Jaguar’s I-Pace Proves a Pleasant Electric Shock on Test. But it Asks Many an E-Question Too
To set the scene, a little background as we commence with a watershed test. Far from an eco-motoring heathen, I became more of a disenchanted battery car observer. Concerned by changes forced on the industry, cars and drivers, I’ve long been intrigued by the possibilities of eco cars and driving.
A Deep Green Footing
We published our first Green Edition tracking alternatively powered motoring trends in our auto magazines way back in 2005. And did one every year until the internet killed the magazine show. Suppose it’s ironic that the battery is now killing the piston show.
We were passionate about eco driving and championed it. But we gradually became disillusioned. Which is why I still consider battery cars as an alternative. Not the solution. Sadly, too many of our electric experiences were tarnished. Perhaps because of the more significant challenges facing e-driving down here in Africa. But change we must. Or we will be lost.
Britain confirmed a ban on combustion cars in 2030, hybrids in 2035 a year ago, already. Last week they legislated that all new homes will be built with electric car charging facilities. The UK is not alone. But will it, Europe and the US be ready for these draconian changes? Can the carmakers cope? Never mind the power grids. Will the car industry pull it off? What about public charging? There are so many questions!
Gas vs. Electric Spy vs. Spy?
Further to that, even more draconian EU7 emissions regulations are due to be imposed on Europe by 2025. That may even make all new piston and even hybrid cars redundant overnight. Crazy as it seems, 2025 is just three years away! The argument rages on about how much cleaner electric cars really are. And it’s clear who’s throwing each of those punches.
Closer to home, our South African electricity grid is allegedly double as dirty as the world average. So, an e-car here will be considerably dirtier. And perhaps even dirtier than an equivalent gasoline car over its lifecycle. Not just that, but our power can be down for as many as four hours a day, every day. Which can mean no charge, no drive. Unless of course you’re on solar. Or, God forbid, run a diesel generator! And there again, we are not alone – is China not in the middle of its own power crisis right now?
They say that electric cars are dirtier to build than combustion vehicles. Never mind their batteries contribute handsomely to their carbon footprint. And must be disposed with after. I can go on. But electric cars still save at least 20% in real world carbon emissions advantage versus gas. More if you are on alternative solar, wind or hydro power. And thus, Europe is forcing combustion vehicles out of the picture. The US is not far behind. You have a reliable grid and fast growing charging infrastructure riding on the back of the Tesla juggernaut. So, whether we like it or not, electric cars are fast becoming a part of our lives.
I-Pace Glided into Our Lives
It was into this scenario that the Jaguar I-Pace glided into our lives for a week’s test. First and foremost, we still wonder why carmakers insist on making electric cars look daft. Why’s driving one like wearing a dunce hat and sitting in the corner in junior school class.? Why not just build electric cars that look like the rest of the range? Not that the I-Pace is too typical of that trait, but it’s different. And divisive. So, let’s just leave that one there!
I was however blown away by my overdue first driving experience. Floor it and I-Pace thrusts you back in the seat and sets off after the horizon like Luke Skywalker’s Star Wars fighter pod. And sounds much the same too. There’s a wonderful deep and distant animal roar — a mechanical scream as the 294 kW 696 Nm electric car sets about its rapid business.
Its prowess came through in our trials too — half a second quicker than Jaguar’s claim to 100 km/h, I-Pace is among the quicker cars we’ve road tested this year. As the numbers below attest, you need a pretty sharp tool from the petrol box to beat that. This electric Jaguar will frighten the best conventionally powered SUVs out there. Even those with M, AMG or similar badges.
I-Pace Brought a Fresh Electric Yearning
This is one positive point of the test I feel I need to elaborate further on. I see much chirp on forums and chat groups, where people write they’d never drive electric. ‘Bring me that V8’. Now I’m a V8 man through-and-through. But after my I-Pace experience, I have a fresh yearning for electric performance. Now I secretly lust after the maddest Teslas and others. And I defy the critics to drive electric first, before just mouthing off…
The all-wheel drive I-Pace has an electric motor on each axle, powered by a 90 kWh Lithium-ion battery under the floor. It handles well — remember heft is like downforce — a heavy car is always better glued to the road. And while you do sense the weight, it’s not such a severe trade off. The I-Pace chassis certainly is well enough sorted. It takes a second to get used to the regenerative braking. I found that helpful to apply to driving the car.
Spacious and airy, if a bit dark, the cabin is a cool space. But nowhere near perfect. Remember what I said about electric cars trying too hard to be different? Well, this one suffers most from the old dunce hat in its secondary controls and displays. The primary bits are cool — gauges are great, interactive and clear. And the R N D P drive buttons easy and logical.
Crazy Controls Can Be a Concern
But I couldn’t get my head around the climate, radio and other controls. Not least while driving. I eventually gave up and rolled down the window for air on one trip. Because I was becoming a danger to myself, distracted while I tried to figure it all out. Of course you’ll soon get it if you drive one everyday. And then there’s the reflection from the noonday sun shining through on the flat touch surfaces. You can’t see the displays and prompts in those conditions. Reinventing the wheel, perhaps?
All-in-all, our driving experience of the Jaguar I-Pace was wonderful. Yes, there are some silly cabin design defects and among its interfaces are annoyingly counter intuitive. Overall however, it’s a great driving experience. But there’s more to it than that. If you have abundant clean energy at your disposal, you live and drive in, or near enough to the city and you’re not fussed about deadlines or travel time when you do roam, then well and good. This car is great.
Jaguar claims I-Pace ‘delivers up to 355 miles range’. We struggled to match the claim, which brought a touch of anxiety about. That’s not an issue in the first world where an adequate fast charging infrastructure is fast becoming the norm. Even less so in the US, where the EPA claim is a far more doable 222 miles. But even at 222 miles, I found myself fixated by the range readout. Welcome to range anxiety. I trust that it will ease in time. But there’s good reason for it.
I-Pace Swayed Opinion
I-Pace is also well priced in the US – it comes in considerably cheaper than an F-Pace SVR, which is only a couple of tenths quicker to 60 mph. Thank electric incentives for that. It’s the other way around down here.
So, there you have it — this was among the more challenging road test we have ever conducted. It was in many ways a voyage of discovery. But one thing is patently clear — if you drive a car, sooner or later, you too will have to experience and likely get used to driving electric.
No matter what we want or believe or not, electric cars are increasingly becoming an ever-bigger part of our everyday lives. We must learn to live with them, and depending on where you live, with their challenges too. And enjoy their advantages. That’s just the way of the world right now. And the Jaguar I-Pace? Well, it has swung our opinion too. It’s reinvigorated our interest in the change. I-Pace proved splendid to drive. Sure, it has its compromises – some merely that it tries a bit too hard to be different. But overall, it’s a lot of fun and it brings a totally different and quite exciting spin to driving. Bravo, Jaguar!
*While battery cars have proven slow on the uptake in the power challenged South African market, major carmakers will introduce many latest technology electric cars there in the coming months. Watch this space as our man in Africa puts them to the ultimate tests in an environment that challenges electric cars hardest.
EV ROAD TESTED: Jaguar I-Pace EV400 AWD SE Motor: 394 HP 512 lb.-ft twin electric Battery: 90 kW/h Drive: Direct AWD TESTED: 0-60 mph: 4.25sec 0-100 mph: 14.82 sec ¼-mile: 12.6 sec @ 108 mph 50-75 mph: 2.79 sec 75-100 mph: 4.85 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 124 mph Charging Time: 10.17 hours 0-100% at 9.6kW AC EPA Range: 222 miles Fuel: 0 mpg* LIST PRICE: $69,600 RATED: 7 *Use Phase Only
Images: Michele Lupini