Jaguar delivered a shock with the electric concept vehicle it recently revealed. The electric GT will mark the beginning of the British brand’s planned revival – and transformation into a battery-electric brand. Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover has revealed more details about the upcoming EV based on the Type 00 concept. And he says that while some competing brands may be backing off from their own plans, Jaguar is going full-speed ahead in its planned transition to electric vehicles.
Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover sees no alternative to going all-electric.
The Jaguar Type 00 concept may be the most controversial show car the auto industry has seen in some time. It was meant to offer up a preview of the all-electric four-door GT the British automaker plans to put into production by mid-2026.
The new model will be critical in a variety of ways, Jaguar aiming to use it to signal that the brand is back after a series of false moves that all but decimated its sales numbers and left many observers wondering about its future.
If anything, the Type 00 concept signals not just a return to the edgy styling that Jaguar long was known for, but it also underscores the marque’s plan to transform itself into an all-electric product line. While some high-line European brands, such as Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ferrari, appear to be backing down from their own commitment to EVs, Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover is making it clear that his brand is charging full-speed ahead.
No flexibility
Jaguar’s first EV was the IPace launched in 2019.
In an interview with Britain’s Autocar, Glover said “there is no flexibility” in Jaguar’s electrification plan.
One key reason: future products like the production version of Type 00 will rely on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture. Its skateboard-style layout has been engineered specifically, and solely, for use with an electric drivetrain — unlike some platforms – such as the Stella Large architecture underpinning the new Dodge Charger Daytona which can be powered by electric or internal combustion powertrains.
“We made the decision back in 2021 to have an electric architecture dedicated to us,” Glover explained in the Autocar interview. “There isn’t the opportunity to put a V-8 into it or something else.”
Plotting its own course
Jaguar has a long history of crafting stand-out designs, like this E-Type shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Stellantis is one of a number of automakers rethinking its commitment to battery-electric propulsion – even as European Union officials this week confirmed their plans to order a phase-out of internal combustion technology. The Euro-American automaker is focusing on “multi-energy” platforms that can go with a variety of different drivetrain technology. Jeep officials, for example, have confirmed they will offer six different sources of propulsion, from pure gas to all-electric, as well as mild, conventional, plug-in and range-extending hybrids.
Maserati this week said it is dumping plans for the MC20 Folgore Supercar project. And other high-line brands have stepped back from going electric – or, at least, fully electric, as well. There will still be some EV-only platforms, such as the one underpinning the upcoming BMW Neue Klasse. But even that Bavarian automaker, like rival Mercedes-Benz, has decided to also develop multi-energy platforms.
The reason is simple, or so those manufacturers have said, reflecting slower-than-expected growth in the EV segment. There’s also the pullback in some key markets, notably the U.S. where Pres. Donald Trump has taken a number of anti-EV steps.
But Jaguar’s Glover is convinced this just a temporary retreat, saying he believes “a lot of things will change” as improvements to EV technology reach production and the charging infrastructure reaches maturity. “EV will be the right platform for us and the powertrain of choice” for the industry as a whole, he said.
More Jaguar News
- Jaguar Type-00 Sticks to Founders Vision
- Jaguar Releases First Images of Upcoming EV GT Model
- Jaguar Initiates Brand Reset, Debuts Bizarre New Identity
More on the Type 00 EV
Image shows Jaguar’s controversial 00 EV concept.
Jaguar shook the rafters when it debuted the Type 00 concept, triggering fierce debate over everything from its hard-edged design to the unusual color palette of the show car. But it revealed few specific details about the technology underpinning the prototype – and the production model to come.
In his interview, Glover discussed his personal experience driving what will be the top-line version of the upcoming 4-door GT which will be dubbed the I-Type. It will punch out a heady 986 horsepower – and gobs of instant torque. The Jaguar CEO said he personally had a chance to take it out on the test track, topping out at 160 mph.
There will be multiple variants, though it’s yet to be confirmed if there will be both single and twin-motor packages. The most efficient I-Type is expected to deliver 430 miles per charge. (Using the global WLTP test standard. A U.S. version would likely get about 20% less range under stricter EPA testing.)
As one would expect in today’s automotive world, many of the underlying electric components will find a place in other Jaguar EVs to follow.
Controversial design
The interior of the Type-00 concept is pure design study but goes for a subtler less high-tech look.
There are those who’ve predicted Jaguar will back down from the controversial design of the Type 00 concept. Apparently not – or not by much, anyway, Glover said. He indicated the I-Type will retain the long front end and upright face, among other things.
“Jaguar is not going to win by having the best technology,” said Glover, nor will I-Pace be “bombarding the driver with technology.”
Pricing and availability
Right now, Jaguar is in limbo having abandoned much of its gas-powered line-up while it prepares for the EV transition. So, it’s no surprise that Glover and his team appear to be pushing to get the I-Type out onto the market as quickly as possible.
Where it originally was expected not to be on sale until late 2026, Glover now plans to have it make a public debut before the end of 2025, with sales to begin the middle of next year. Two more EVs now under development will follow shortly afterwards.
Pricing also appears to be starting at a somewhere lower level than had been expected – some analysts forecasting a base of around $200,000. But Glover told Autocar the base I-Type will start around $128,000.
0 Comments