Jaguar I-Pace long-term test: report 2
When Jaguar launched the fully electric I-Pace, it had few rivals, but that’s certainly not the case any more. So, is it still worth considering? We’re living with one to find out...
The car Jaguar I-Pace EV400 R-Dynamic HSE Black Run by Steve Huntingford, editor
Why it’s here To see if Jaguar’s electric SUV still feels like the future, or if it’s had its day
Needs to Combine its sleek looks with dynamics, luxury and range worthy of a prestige electric car
Mileage 2140 List price £77,495 Target Price £74,418 Price as tested £84,035 Test range 216 miles Official range 261 miles
10 March – Honesty is the best policy
“I don’t mind, as long as you give me a realistic estimate.” It’s a phrase my wife has quite understandably uttered in the past after I’ve phoned her to warn that I’m going to be home late from work – and then been even later than I’ve said. However, it also sums up how I feel about electric car range readouts; it’s not seeing a lower figure than the official average that frustrates me, but when those readouts massively overpromise.
After all, I’m well aware that the official ranges that manufacturers are obliged to publish are based on a test that assumes you’re driving Miss Daisy and the weather is balmy. But as long as I’ve got a good idea of how many miles I can really cover before I need to find a charger, I can plan around that.
This wasn’t the case at the start of my time with the Jaguar I-Pace; a week after I took delivery, I had to go to Bicester for a video shoot and I saw the predicted range drop by 86 miles over the course of the 63-mile journey. However, I’m pleased to say that as I've spent more time with the car, it’s learnt the sort of conditions it’s likely to face in my hands and its promises of range have become more realistic.
The latest example of this came when I had to drive the 117 miles from What Car?’s Twickenham offices to the NEC near Birmingham for another work event. I’d not had the chance to fully charge the battery before leaving; it was at 64% when I unplugged, and the readout reckoned I could cover 138 miles. Yet instead of feeling like I had to take things easy in order to make it without stopping for a top-up, I was confident enough to drive at 70mph all the way up the M40.
Sure enough, when I arrived at the hotel and plugged the I-Pace in to charge back up overnight, I still had 17 miles in reserve. Or to put it another way, the range readout had been accurate to within a handful of miles. For me, that’s at least as important as a big battery when it comes to banishing range anxiety.
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