Jaguar I-PACE boosts its driving range

A free software update is now available for the Jaguar I-PACE and it will bring a significant boost to the all-electric luxury SUV’s real-world driving range.

First launched in 2018, the British car-maker’s first EV entered the market with a claimed driving range of 470km (WLTP) and an impressive sprint from zero to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.

Now, Jaguar says owners can bring their vehicle in to a dealership to receive a range-boosting software update for free, bringing an extra 20km of driving range (depending on usage) and over-the-air software update functionality.

To put that into perspective, the soon-to-be-launched Mercedes-Benz EQC has a WLTP range of 353km from a full charge, while Tesla’s entry-level Model X Long Range model offers 505km (WLTP) and the Hyundai Kona Electric – Australia’s cheapest e-SUV -- can travel 449km (WLTP).

And although the update doesn’t boost the I-PACE’s athleticism, the British EV was already rapid enough to hit 100km/h in 4.8 seconds -- making it quicker than the EQC (5.1sec) but marginally slower than the Model X Long Range (4.6sec), not to mention the Model X Performance (2.9sec).

Curiously, however, Jaguar says the upgrade doesn’t change the I-PACE’s official certified range figure, but will give customers access to an improvement of up to eight per cent dependent on usage – equating to a potential extra 20km of real-world range.

Along with the extra range, Jaguar says the update will also enable Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) functionality, with more electronic modules able to receive remote updates, providing ongoing enhancements without having to visit a dealer.

Jaguar says the new software comes courtesy of the development it conducted as part of the one-make I-PACE eTROPHY race series, with this knowledge now resulting in real-world improvements.

Other changes Jaguar says it derived from the race series include improvements to the I-PACE’s torque distribution between the front and rear motors, more efficient regenerative braking and changes to the predictive range calculation algorithm, to better gauge individual driving styles.

The I-PACE is currently on sale in Australia priced from $123,814 plus on-road costs.