Pretoria – After becoming the first premium manufacturer to enter Formula E in 2016, Jaguar has created the world’s first production battery electric vehicle race series.
The one-make Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy will be the support series for the FIA Formula E championship for electric cars, taking place on the same weekends at the same city circuits, starting in late 2018.
Exclusively featuring Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy racecars, the new feeder series gives racers of the future a chance to showcase their talent, competing on the world stage in zero-emissions motorsport. Up to 20 electric I-Pace racecars will be on the grid in ten races in cities such as Hong Kong, Paris, Sao Paolo and New York.
Formula E has grown exponentially since its inception in September 2014 with Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche also joining the series. Many drivers contesting the championship are former Formula One stars including Sebastien Buemi, Lucas di Grassi (the reigning Formula E champion), Nelson Piquet Jr and Jean-Eric Vergne.
The new I-Pace eTrophy championship will support the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace, Jaguar’s five-seat electric sports car which goes into production in the same year.
The announcement follows the British government's plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2040 and reinforces Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to electrification – from 2020 all its new model lines will be electrified with either hybrid or battery technology.
The production I-Pace, due to reach our market in 2019, will be Jaguar’s first fully electric vehicle and its maker is promising a useable range of up to 500km on a single charge. The showroom vehicle is expected to have outputs in the region of 295kW and 700Nm, with one electric motor mounted on each axle for all-wheel-drive capability.