Jaguar Says The Transition to EVs Has Been “Hugely Frustrating”

by Carl Malek | September 10, 2024

Jaguar admits that the transition to EVS has not been easy as it had hoped and says that it’s been hugely frustrating. Admission comes as the company prepares to reinvent itself with a new lineup of EV models that will begin arriving in dealer showrooms next year.

Jaguar’s EV push faces several challenges including reluctance from dealerships

Jaguar is preparing for the biggest gamble that it has ever undertaken in its illustrious history as the British luxury car brand prepares to become an all-electric brand with the lineup being defined by bespoke electric models that are not only ramping up the level of luxury that Jaguar will be offering to consumers but also pricing with these models targeting well-heeled luxury buyers.

Look past the glimmer of this new beginning though and it’s become clear that Jaguar has had a rough time preparing for this new future to arrive. The EV push was part of its “Reimagine” strategy but three years in and the brand has not produced a single all-new vehicle with the Jaguar F-Pace expected to soldier the burden of sales alone until this happens. As expected, the brand is frustrated at the sluggish pace with a new report highlighting just how angry Jaguar reps are at the current state of affairs.

Patience is beginning to run thin

Jaguar admits that the transformation into an EV-focused company has been “hugely frustrating”.

The admission came in a recent interview that Top Gear magazine had with Jaguar’s Managing Director Rawdon Glover. Glover reminded skeptics that this move is a “complete brand reinvention” and that the move upmarket will still benefit Jaguar in the long run with the brand chopping its models to only three vehicles with limits in production to help streamline the whole process.

This process has presented its own share of challenges with Glover saying that Jaguar needs “a whole suite of EV services” to successfully embrace an all EV lineup. These changes are more complex than some might realize with the brand not only having to introduce these services within the company but also to skeptical dealerships especially those that have unpleasant memories of the Jaguar I-Pace. The I-Pace was Jaguar’s last EV model and while it brought advanced technology and good styling to showrooms, it was also a slow seller and was known for being glued to dealer lots. These models are expected to be better than the I-Pace in that regard and while their high price tags will ensure that they don’t have as high of a sale rate as the brand’s long-running lineup of ICE-powered models, expect them to still be a noticeable upgrade over the I-Pace.

First EV Jaguar will arrive later this year

The first model that will present this new direction for Jaguar will make its debut later this year with the brand introducing an new all-electric GT model that will reportedly cost over $130,000 and be underpinned by Jaguar’s new Jaguar Electrified Platform. The GT will be joined later by two electrified SUVs that will attempt to help Jaguar grab a bigger share of sales in the luxury EV SUV market while also helping the brand learn from mistakes it made with the smaller E-Pace and even the larger F-Pace.

Jaguar’s decision to move upmarket comes at a time when demand for EVs is beginning to cool off even at the top end of the market. This cooling demand has forced many automakers to change their plans on EVs and some of them have even pivoted to putting a stronger focus on hybrid and plug-in models to help address this change while also buying time for them to prepare their EV models for mass consumption.

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