Jaguar EV coming soon

While Mercedes-Benz snared the luxury EV headlines at the Paris motor show with Generation EQ, a bullish Jaguar is talking up its own 'pioneering' foray into the segment, which it says will be unveiled soon.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Dr Ralf Speth used his media day speech to hint at what Jaguar's return to motor racing in the Formula E series implies for the road car program.

"It [Formula E] is our first step towards electrification, more to come soon, watch this space," he said. "And when we show you more, please be assured we don't do ordinary."

JLR's EV program is being developed under the codename X590 and is believed to include a luxury five-door 'coupe' and an SUV – both badged as Jaguars. They will be rivals for Tesla and its Model S and Model X already on-sale, as well as EVs coming from virtually every luxury brand on the planet.

The most recent public sightings have been of a prototype based on a shortened F-Pace SUV body testing on UK roads.

The coupe, which is reportedly meant to sell alongside the luxury XJ saloon and potentially replace it, could be launched as soon as 2017, while the SUV is said to be due in 2019.

Speth was clear the company would soon be showing its first EV and revealing some detail when he briefly spoke to Australian journalists after his speech.

"I have tried to give you a certain hint already," he said. "First of all we are stepping in, we know what we do so it's not by accident we went into Formula E.

"We normally don't try to make a lot of announcements prior to when we can show you something but I will say if you are a little bit curious and a little bit patient – so not a lot – and watch this space, then you will see also something.

"Every car company is trying to do more in hybridisation but also electrification and as I mentioned also we are pioneering, so we are to do something."

Speth said the Formula E series, which commences in Hong Kong on October 9, would provide important learnings for JLR as it develops its EV skill base.

"It will be a huge academy for all our young engineers to learn and learn fast," said Speth. "It's a new combination ... because it is not only a new electronic architecture or electronic feature; at the end of the day it is a complete new propulsion system combined with additional elements.

"You have to have the right weight balance, you have to have the right airflows and all these things to consider to make a very good car."

Separately JLR global sales director Andy Goss explained the background and rationale for the EV program started with ensuring the company hit future global CO2 and emissions limits.

"That was honestly the start point for this, but since that time there's been an active consumer interest in doing it as well. It makes sense for a lot of people and not just because of regulation ... consumers want cars like this; that's clear.

"Tesla has clearly been the vanguard in paving the way on this, but every brand is not so far behind that that they do not have a plan including us.

"We are not in a position to articulate it, but we will be and when we do I think you will be impressed with what we have got there."
Computer-generated image courtesy of Automedia