Making the move to an EV with the Jaguar I-Pace

My last post was about my experiences with an EV on holiday in Majorca. In that post I said, “I will probably buy an EV as a result in the near future and an i3 is on the short-list”. Well, I have only gone and done it. Sitting outside my house, currently charging at a glacial pace from a plug in the kitchen, is a shiny new Jaguar I-Pace. Also glacial is the draft coming through the open kitchen window - roll-on home charging socket.

The BMW i3S I test drove

I did seriously consider an i3 and even test drove it’s sportier variant - the i3S. The i3S trades some efficiency for an extra 10bhp and a sport setting. It also gains a wider track and firmer suspension. The firmer suspension does unsettle the ride when cruising but was very impressive out on Welsh back-roads. The sport button is more than just a gimmick and increased responsiveness makes it a genuine hot hatch in the twisty stuff. There is still part of me that laments the lack of involvement from listening to the revs rise and fall and satisfaction of picking the right gear for the corner. However, it does avoid the dissatisfaction of being in the wrong gear and you can focus on your line, avoiding suicidal wildlife and homicidal farm machinery.

As much I as I like the BMW i3, it was always going to be a big step down in size and practicality compared to my 5 Series. Although I had never really gelled with the limousine proportions that a 5 Series has grown to now - I had a nagging doubt that the i3 might be overcompensating. Over the next couple of years, there will be many more vehicles launched which might fit my needs but their cost and availability are still quite sketchy. I looked at the Tesla Model 3 and it is class-leading in so many respects and has all the Tesla infrastructure behind it. It did really want something with a hatch again though and the styling and build quality still don’t wow me. I prefer the Model S but it is 5 Series big and still very expensive to lease. The only car which seemed to tick all the boxes was the I-Pace. Unfortunately, when I started looking, it was also too expensive to lease. As 2019 drew to a close, I started to see a few deals appear that were a lot more affordable and were also on cars in stock. It’s probably a bit of a Brexit bonus as buyers became somewhat scarce. I am not too proud a “remainer” to pass up a good deal when it turns up.

The Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) managed to beat their wealthier German rivals by a year bringing out their first all-electric premium vehicle. Not only that, but it is a purpose-built EV which celebrates rather than hides it’s electric drive train. When it launched, it faced two main questions: Is it a real Jaguar and is it better than a Tesla? I feel I am pretty well placed to answer the first question - rather less so with the second. My grandfather was a Jaguar dealer and my family has owned many JLR products over the years. I myself owned a 2010 XKR which is a very Jaggish Jag for a few years.

From the outside, the I-Pace lacks the traditional long bonnet and some of the curves traditional in the marque. The cab-forward design and Kammback cut-off tail is a departure from Jag norms but it has integrated the grill well and is immediately recognisable as an i-Pace. It shares that trait with the i3, but is more conventionally handsome. Of all the premium marques, Jaguar has probably been the most successful at adapting its styling DNA to the bulky form of an SUV with the F-Pace. They could have adapted the F-Pace to an EV and no-one could have blamed them. I admire the fact that they embraced the limitations and advantages of an EV drive-train in a no-compromise design. Once you get inside though and the family traits are far stronger. The cabin has a great blend of British elegance and modernity. Where the i3 makes a small space feel larger the Jaguar opts to make a large space more purposeful. The cabin wraps around the driver to give make it feel more like an F-Type. Look in the side mirrors and you see rounded haunches just like in the XK. The main difference is the height, its a bit like being in an XK on a trailer. There are similarities in the driving experience too. Jaguar favour a lighter weight to the controls and the ride is similar. It is firm and the big 20” wheels do pickup surface imperfections but it never gets harsh or crashy. The XK and the I-Pace are relaxed mile-eaters with comfortable seats that give you a sense of the performance that is there if you need it without letting it intrude. They also both have a little button marked with a flag. Press it and the performance starts to intrude with vigour. In the XK I used to call it the “Mr. Angry” button. It is true that in the XKR the soundtrack is more NASCAR and in the I-Pace more NASA but the net effect is the same. Is it a true Jaguar? I believe it is.

On to the second question, is it better than a Tesla? I have never driven one, so I can’t give a definitive opinion. There is not really a direct I-Pace rival in the current Tesla line-up. The Model X is their only SUV and that is a bigger vehicle. The X has the drama of its Falcon doors, advanced software and unrivaled infrastructure. I have had a brief ride in one and I did like it. The I-Pace has a nicer cabin and focusses on the Sport in Sports Utility Vehicle where the Model X leans more towards the Utility aspect. The Model X is a more expensive option though. When the Model Y turns up it will be a closer match but the timeline on that car is not yet known. Mercedes and Audi have finally caught up and launched their own rivals. They don’t have the same appeal for me though. They are more conventional SUVs - safer designs that lack the i-Pace’s engineering commitment to embracing the change to an EV powertrain.

To be honest, I am never really been an SUV fan and the I-Pace is not only my first EV, but it’s also my first SUV. I like practical vehicles, but I have always been more of an Estate (Wagon) guy. An Estate does everything better than an SUV until you need to go off-road. If you need to do that then you need something like a Land Rover wearing a sensible pair of boots. I do like 4WD though, although it’s probably less important than having the right tyre for the conditions. I am pretty much alone in that view in my family though - who are all SUV’ers.

The 5 Series the I-Pace is replacing

	BMW 530xD	Jaguar I-Pace
Performance
Engine size	2993
Fuel	diesel	electric
Gearbox	automatic with manual mode	automatic
Top Speed	155 mph	124 mph
Tank Range	650 miles	292 miles (220 really)
0-60mph	5.5 secs	4.6 secs
Max power	265 bhp	400 bhp
Max torque	620 Nm	696 Nm
Measurements
Body Type	Saloon	Sports utility vehicle
Length (mm)	4936	4682
Width (mm)	1868	1895
Height (mm)	1479	1565
Seats	5	5
Luggage capacity (seats up)	530 litres	577 litres
Luggage capacity (seats down)		1453 litres
Weight	1810 Kg	2208 Kg

My BMW 5 Series is a saloon and the lack of a hatch has occasionally been an issue despite the big boot. How much have I compromised in my change in powertrain and body style? My resistance to SUVs was mainly due to their lack of efficiency and compromised dynamics. The I-Pace being an EV means that the impact on the planet argument is no longer a factor and is in the Jag’s favour. The drivetrain in the 530D is exemplary for a diesel. It is quiet, smooth and powerful. However, in all those areas it is eclipsed by the I-Pace. Once you become used to the linear one-foot driving in an EV you start to notice all complex mechanics that internal combustion requires. Dynamically, the I-Pace feels sportier than the BMW which was a surprise. BMW are the acknowledged masters at sports saloons. However, despite being the M-Sport model with adaptive dampers and 20” wheels with ultra-low profile (and fragile) Pirelli P Zeros, it just never feels that sporty. Engaging Sport mode was less transformational than in the 3 Series that preceded it. It is hugely capable, but it feels most at home on fast, sweeping bends than the tight twisty stuff around my area. Despite the higher driving position, the Jag feels more sporty. The steering is quicker with more feel and the front end more pointy. On the standard steel springs, it stays remarkably flat for an SUV of about 2.2 tonnes. The ride isn’t quite as cossetting as in the Beemer, but it is never harsh.

Extra length of the 5 Series and how much it usually sticks out of standard parking spaces

The Jag is about a foot shorter, but a little wider and noticeably higher than the BMW. Finding a space for the I-Pace where it isn’t left sticking out of the row is going to easier. However, I need to pass on any narrow spaces or set tougher goals for my diet! The Jag feels more manoeuvrable though not in the same league as the BMW i3’s black cab impression. The only thing I have noticed is that I am struggling to get it straight in spaces. The 5 Series had a top down view that showed me the lines and perhaps I have become over dependant on that. However my theory is that the longer wheelbase of the “wheel at each corner” I-Pace means you have to take a wider line into the space to get the rear wheels where you want them.

My first ever UK charging experience - it worked thankfully. This is an Ecotricity charger at Birmingham Airport.

I will add more articles as I gain more familiarity with the car and the whole EV ownership experience. I have my first long road trip coming up. It has already caused me to create a spreadsheet. Even for an ex-Accountant/ex-IT guy like me, that is a first!