Yahoo Autos The demise of the electric Jaguar i-Pace
Years before Jaguar announced their decision to go full EV with their lineup, the i-Pace SUV paved the way forward as the British marque's sole electric vehicle. Now Jaguar has announced their decision to discontinue the i-Pace alongside most of their other offerings by 2025.
Lackluster features for a premium price tag
Revealed in 2018, the Jaguar i-Pace was built under contract by Austrian manufacturer Magna Steyr with an MSRP of $72,500. It was powered by two motors and a 90 kWh LG Chem liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. Together, the motors put out 395 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a 4.8-second 0–62 mph time and an electronically limited 124 mph top speed.
Related: Jaguar is dead as we know it
A 0 to 80% charge would take around 85 minutes using a 50 kW DC charger or 45 minutes using a 100 kW charger. EPA estimated a full charge would power the i-Pace for 234 miles.
Jaguar
Poor initial sales plagued the 2019 model year
Initially, things were looking up for Jaguar. In January 2019, Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) reported their sales figures from the previous few months of 2018. Jaguar saw December SUV sales amount to 3,462 units, with 223 of those being from the i-Pace in its second month on the market. Overall SUV sales jumped 3.6% to 19,624 for the year.
In October 2019, sales dropped to 2,350 units with 306 of those being i-Pace models. That number was reportedly 11% lower than in October 2018.
In November 2019, sales slightly increased to 2,958 units with 270 being i-Pace sales. Still, that number was 7% lower than in November 2018.
Meanwhile, sister brand Land Rover saw increasing sales of their SUVs, with 8,093 units sold in October 2019 and 9,514 units in November 2019.
Jaguar
Jaguar i-Pace sales kept slumping in 2021 and 2023
The situation was just as grim two years later. Jaguar i-Pace sales in Q3 2021 were at 2,644 units, 18% lower than they were in Q3 2020 as reported by Inside EVs. By Q4 2021, that number dropped yet again to 2,558 units.
In Q1 2023, global sales of the i-Pace had fallen to a measly 1,459 units. Q2 2023 saw even more decline as sales reached 1,339 units. The latest October 2024 report did not mention any Jaguar sales figures.
Five recalls further soured the i-Pace
The five recalls since 2023 didn't help sales, with all of them being due to battery fire risks that the manufacturer cannot seem to definitely resolve. The "fix" was an over-the-air software update that would monitor the state of the battery and replace individual battery modules in some cases.
The latest "fix" was to limit charging to a maximum of 80%, reducing the already low EPA-estimated range of 234 miles.
Jaguar
Releasing a more expensive Jaguar makes no sense
It looks like the Jaguar i-Pace was doomed from the beginning. With sales slumping almost immediately after its release. The company's decision to move to a fully electric lineup is perplexing at best, especially considering their intent to charge six figures for their upcoming models.
If a $70,000 electric Jaguar had trouble moving units, why would one that sells for $30,000 more fare better? Unless they create some incredibly attractive offerings with features to rival Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, Jaguar-Land Rover might soon become just Land Rover.
