Electric cars are keen on proving their real world usability every day, as new technology keeps evolving improving their range and lowering costs. Jaguar I-PACE has chosen to do a 369 km sprint on a single charge with this very objective in mind. The journey started in London and ended in Brussels with the channel crossing in between.
Jaguar calls it the world’s first premium all-electric performance SUV. So, it had to choose the road less travelled. The I-PACE drove though the Channel Tunnel’s service tunnel on its way to Brussels and called it a Continental road trip! The journey started on London’s South Bank, with its 90kWh battery fully charged, and with Stephen Boulter, the Jaguar engineer behind the wheel. At the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone, while the 80 million vehicles that crossed the Channel in the last 24 years took the train, the I-PACE chose to ride through the service tunnel that runs between the two rail tunnels. So the I-PACE had the pleasure of crossing the world’s longest undersea tunnel (50km) using its own power. From there, as the Jaguar press note says, the I-PACE cruised along motorways and negotiated rush-hour traffic in the summer heat as part of the challenge. Soon enough, it arrived at the historic Mons Des Arts in central Brussels with eight per cent battery charge still in reserve.
Watch the trip here: https://youtu.be/d-2Y8osNlIM
How to ensure the most from each charge of I-PACE
I-PACE includes Technologies like Smart Climate, Eco Mode and energy-optimised navigation routing to help drivers make the most of each charge without compromising on comfort.
Before the journey begins, pre-conditioning the battery to reach its ideal operating temperature and setting the cabin to the desired temperature using power from the grid is ideal, instead of drawing current from the battery.
The navigation system takes note of route topography and driving style to calculate range. So, it can plot the most energy-efficient route available.
If the programmed destination cannot be reached with remaining charge, the driver is alerted and the system can help to find charging stations within range. En route recharging is efficient with a 100 kW DC rapid charger. It can add up to 100km of extra range in just 15 minutes.
The I-PACE’s state-of-the-art 90 kWh Lithium-ion battery facilitates sporty performance of 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds along with the practicality of a 470 km range (WLTP cycle). Using a 100kW DC charger, 0-80 per cent charging time takes only 40 minutes. Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same in just over ten hours – ideal for overnight charging.
A smart way to use air-conditioning is by sensing the number of riders present and cool or heat only around them. I-PACE can do that if equipped with four-zone four-zone climate control. Besides, the instrument cluster can show how much energy certain systems, such as climate control, are using, and how much range could be gained by switching them off.
Getting to know the I-PACE without buying
Jaguar has come up with a smart way to get people acquainted with their all-electric performance SUV. This intelligent app called Go I-PACE creates a unique picture of a vehicle’s use and will even show how many journeys would have needed a stop to top-up the battery. The app is free to download and is available now for iPhones.
TRIVIA TO TOM-TOM!
Guess how much energy did the I-PACE use for this 369km journey? It could be generated from just 41 turns of a wind turbine, taking just under two minutes!
If you travelled this distance once a month, switching from a conventional engine of similar size and power to an EV would reduce CO2 consumption by up to nearly half a tonne (476 kg) per year* and save nearly £1,000 as per UK stats and manufacturer calculations.
