Jaguar to Debut an Electric SUV by 2018

Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. says it will introduce an all-electric SUV, the company’s first electrified model, by 2018.

Jaguar unveiled the car in concept form as the I-Pace, an electric variant of its new F-Pace crossover, at the Los Angeles auto show last night. The prototype boasts a 90-kWh under-floor battery that can power the I-Pace for 500 km (310 miles) on Europe’s NEDC test cycle or an estimated 220 miles (350 km) on the U.S. test cycle.

The concept uses separate electric motors for the front and rear axles to deliver a combined 400 PS (394 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. The car boasts a drag coefficient of 0.29 and a cab-forward design that combines the footprint of a midsize SUV with more room for passengers and cargo than larger vehicles.

Jaguar touts the I-Pace as a “radical” design with a coupe-like profile, huge glass roof and interior configured to take advantage of the relatively compact powertrain of an electric vehicle. The concept’s climate control system uses a heat pump to reduce power demand on the battery enough to contribute about 50 km of range to the car, according to Jaguar.

When the five-seater goes into production, it will be assembled by Magna International Inc.’s Steyr custom manufacturing unit in Graz, Austria, according to the Financial Times.