Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar I-Pace key data

From concept car to Graz production

Jaguar showed the I-Pace Concept at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November 2016 and drove it on public roads in London in March 2017. The production car changed little from the show car. It was unveiled on 1 March 2018 in Graz and made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show a few days later. European deliveries began in June 2018 and North American ones in October.

Jaguar did not build the car in its own British plants. Production went to Magna Steyr, a contract manufacturer that also assembled the E-Pace. The cab-forward shape follows from the electric layout: there is no engine to house, so the windscreen moves forward and the wheelbase is long for the car's length. With 2,990 mm between the axles on a 4,682 mm body, the wheelbase takes up about 64 % of the length by our calculation. That explains the roomy cabin of a car only slightly longer than a Jaguar F-Pace.

Motors, battery and performance

Each axle has its own electric motor, rated at 147 kW, so the car always drives all four wheels through single-speed transmissions. Together they give 294 kW (400 PS) and 696 Nm, and Jaguar marketed the car as the EV400. The 90 kWh battery uses LG Chem pouch cells, is liquid-cooled and sits low between the axles, which also gives the car an even weight distribution.

The claimed 0–100 km/h time is 4.8 seconds and the top speed is limited to 200 km/h. With 2,133 kg to move, the I-Pace carries about 7.3 kg per kW. You can compare these ratios with our power-to-weight calculator.

Air suspension was optional and the I-Pace can wade through 500 mm of water. It is not an off-roader, but rough tracks and snow are within its range thanks to the permanent all-wheel drive.

Jaguar also used the car for racing. The I-Pace eTrophy, announced in September 2017, was a one-make series of race-prepared I-Paces that ran alongside Formula E. In August 2018 an I-Pace also set a lap record for electric vehicles at Laguna Seca in California. Neither changes how the road car drives, but both showed that the battery and motors could take repeated hard use on a circuit.

Range, consumption and charging

The official WLTP range is 470 km. In the United States the EPA first rated it at 377 km, and a software update in December 2019 raised that to 396 km. By our calculation, 90 kWh over 470 km works out to about 19 kWh per 100 km, measured from the gross battery figure. This is a high figure for the class, and owners who drive fast on motorways or in cold weather should expect noticeably less range than the WLTP number.

The 11 kW on-board charger arrived with the 2021 model year update, which also brought new infotainment. For used buyers this matters: an early car cannot use the faster three-phase AC supply common in continental Europe. The cost of charging at home against fuel can be worked out with our cost of ownership calculator.

Awards and safety ratings

In March 2019 the I-Pace became the first Jaguar to win European Car of the Year. A month later it took three titles at the World Car Awards: World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car. It also won national car of the year awards in the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway.

Euro NCAP tested it in December 2018 and gave it five stars. The detailed scores were 91 % for adult occupants, 81 % for child occupants, 73 % for vulnerable road users and 81 % for safety assist. ANCAP's aligned rating has the same occupant percentages.

Recalls and the 2024 buyback

The battery is the I-Pace's weak point. In June 2023 Jaguar recalled about 6,400 cars built between 2018 and 2023 to update the battery control software, and modules with faulty LG cells were to be replaced. In August 2024 a further US recall covered 2,760 cars of the 2019 model year, built between January 2018 and March 2019. Dealers limited their charge to 80 %, and owners were told to park and charge outside.

After three of those cars caught fire even with the update, Jaguar decided in November 2024 to buy the affected US cars back. No injuries were reported. Anyone looking at an early car should check the recall status with a dealer and ask for proof that all battery updates and module replacements were done.

Sales, end of production and the robotaxi fleet

Sales were modest for a car with so many awards. These are the registration figures for Europe and the United States:

Europe took 46,654 cars over these five years, and 2020 was the best year. Production ended in December 2024 as Jaguar stopped its existing range to prepare a new electric line-up, and total sales were expected to be around 70,000 cars. A large share of US cars went to Waymo, which ordered up to 20,000 in 2018 for its driverless taxi service. By May 2025 it was running 1,500 of them in four US cities. Jaguar's wider story, including the electric restart, is told in our history of Jaguar.

I-Pace or a rival: who it suits

When new, the I-Pace was aimed at the Tesla Model X, the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes EQC. The Tesla offered seven seats and more range, while the Jaguar was more compact and, in our view, better finished inside. Today the I-Pace makes most sense as a used car. It suits drivers with home charging who want a fast, quiet and well-made SUV, and who mostly cover distances well inside 350 km a day.

It suits less well those who drive long motorway trips often or who need quick charging on the road, because 100 kW is slow by later standards. For a used buy, the 2021–2024 cars with the 11 kW charger are the better choice. With an early car, the battery history and recall work matter more than the mileage. Other electric SUVs are listed in our electric cars section.