https://www.afr.com/lifestyle/cars-bikes-and-boats/cars/2019-jaguar-ipace-review-when-a-good-electric-car-is-not-a-good-car-20181021-h16xko 2019 Jaguar I-Pace review: When a good electric car is not a good car Oct 22 2018 Mark Phelan
[images JAGUAR IMAGES https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/h/1/6/u/m/g/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.h16xko.png/1540166924827.jpg https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/h/1/6/h/s/3/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1539220806887.jpg The interior. The I-Pace joins auto makers' long list of regrettable attempts to reinvent controls that were already just fine. Jaguar Land Rover https://www.afr.com/content/dam/images/h/1/6/x/c/a/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1540160183286.jpg A Jaguar I-Pace during the Invictus Games in Sydney. Nick Dimbleby ] Surprisingly, given that there's no engine that needs cooling under the hood, the I-Pace has a big grille for a nose ... Surprisingly, given that there's no engine that needs cooling under the hood, the I-Pace has a big grille for a nose that'll look familiar to the brand's fans. Detroit | If you consider the Jaguar I-Pace, I advise testing the systems, and climate controls extensively during your test drive. Transcript of a hands-free phone call while testing the vehicle: Me: Paul? You free? A: I have a minute before a conference call. M: I want to check what you think of the Jaguar I-Pace. I'm driving one, and I hate it so much I want to crash it into a wall. A: What? I loved that vehicle. I'll call you back in half an hour. Paul is Paul Eisenstein, auto writer and a peer whose opinions I respect, but don't always share. The kind of person to call when you're thinking about aiming an $US86,000 ($121,000) electric luxury vehicle at a bridge abutment rather than spend another minute trying to adjust the air conditioning fan speed. Conversations like this are the bane of auto makers, as they try to reinvent themselves with electric vehicles, self-driving robot cars, vehicles on demand and other new challenges. Some of them behave as if it's unfair to expect them to create new types of vehicles and simultaneously deliver features we take for granted in today's cars and SUVs. The 2018 Jaguar I-Pace, the brand's first electric vehicle - if you don't count one-offs built for royal weddings and the like - is a perfect, and occasionally maddening, example. It's an accomplished electric vehicle that's barely average among luxury SUVs due to faults that have nothing to do with the innovative zero-emissions drivetrain at its heart. Eisenstein never called back, by the way. That's Paul, but he had given me what I needed: A reminder that an early-adopting tech fan might love a vehicle that reduced me to sputtering obscenities when I tried to make a simple phone call. Maybe you're that tech fan. Clearly, I'm not. Here's the lowdown on the new electric Jag. Behind the Wheel - 2018 Jaguar I-Pace - All-wheel-drive, five-passenger luxury SUV - Price as tested: $US85,900 (excluding destination charge) - Rating: Two out of four stars - Reasons to buy: Electric power, looks, acceleration. - Shortcomings: Frustrating climate controls, poor smartphone integration, poor voice recognition. How much? The I-Pace uses a brand new architecture Jaguar Land Rover developed for its upcoming electric vehicles. Sales just began around the world. The first deliveries to US customers are expected in November. All I-Paces have two electric motors for all-wheel drive, one on each axle. They produce 396 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. The five-passenger I-Pace is a compact SUV. US prices will start at $US69,500. I tested a top-of-the-line I-Pace First Edition. It had a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, 20-inch wheels, 825-watt Meridian audio, leather interior, suede headliner, heated steering wheel, blind-spot assist, lane-keeping assist, navigation, power tailgate and more. It stickered at $US85,900. All prices exclude destination charges. At 184.3 inches long, it's 2 inches shorter than Jag's conventionally powered F-Pace SUV. If you're determined to buy an electric luxury SUV, there's not much competition for the I-Pace. The Tesla Model X is more than a foot longer and costs significantly more when comparably equipped. The Audi E-tron SUV won't be on sale til the second quarter of 2019 and is 8.7 inches longer. The other announced luxury electric SUV, the Mercedes EQC, isn't due til 2020. If you want a conventionally powered but otherwise technically advanced and luxury-sport SUV, you have an embarrassment of choices. Competitive base prices (Excluding destination charges) (Automatic transmission, all-wheel drive models.) - Jaguar I-Pace First Edition: $US85,900 - Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: $US79,995 - BMW X3 M40i: $US54,650 - Porsche Macan turbo: $US77,200 - Tesla Model X 100D: $US96,000 Source: Autotrader Power and range The I-Pace's electric drivetrain delivers impressive performance. Acceleration is head-snapping with a claimed 0-60mp/h (96.6km/h) time of 4.5 seconds, despite the I-Pace's 4857-pound curb weight. That's several hundred pounds more than non-electric SUVs, but 600 pounds lighter than the bigger Tesla X. The I-Pace's weight is distributed 50/50 over the front and rear axles. There's a marked tendency to squat back on its haunches in hard acceleration, despite an air suspension. Regenerative braking captures power as soon as you release the accelerator, rendering normal braking unnecessary in many cases. The brakes feel more conventional in dynamic mode. The official US government fuel economy site doesn't list range or charging time for the I-Pace at the time of writing. Until they're available, Jag predicts a 234-mile range on a charge and 12.9 hours for a full charge at 230 volts. And 10.1 hours should get you an 80 per cent charge of the 90 kWh lithium-ion battery. The downside If all the new technology works well, why was I like a lemming looking for a cliff? Because of flaws in a slew of features Jaguar should have mastered by now. The I-Pace joins auto makers' long list of regrettable attempts to reinvent controls that were already just fine. Cabin temperature, fan speed and heated and cooled front seats are all controlled by just two dials: one for the driver, the other for the passenger. In a finger ballet that's nearly impossible without taking your eyes off the road, you adjust temperature by rotating the dial; fan by pushing the dial in a fraction of an inch and rotating; and seat temperature by pulling the dial out that same smidgeon and rotating. If it sounds confusing, try doing it at 60mp/h without looking. It's an unnecessary test of fine motor control when a few simple dials and buttons would suffice. In addition, Jaguar wants smartphone users - isn't that everybody? - to download a baulky app called In Control rather than offering the polished Apple CarPlay or Android Auto interfaces. The voice recognition also functions poorly. Other vehicles - simpler ones that don't claim to be tech showcases - deliver those features better. The I-Pace's poor execution undermines the things it does well. Specifications as tested - Engine: Two electric motors, one on each axle. - Power: 396 horsepower; 512 pound-feet of torque - Transmission: Single-speed automatic - Wheelbase: 117.7 inches - Length: 184.3 inches - Width: 79.1 inches - Curb Weight: 4,857 pound-feet It sure is pretty, though The I-Pace has a long, low profile and low roof for a sporty look that's new, but consistent with other Jaguars. Gaping wheel wells are filled by big, low-profile tires. Surprisingly, given that there's no engine that needs cooling under the hood, the I-Pace has a big grille for a nose that'll look familiar to the brand's fans. Tesla, by contrast, chose grille-free noses for a unique face. The interior is wrapped in high-quality materials. The low roof and small door openings make the I-Pace harder to enter and exit than other SUVs its size. Verdict Do you want a flawed but promising electric luxury SUV or a polished luxury SUV? How high is your threshold of frustration with poorly executed controls? As with me and my friend Paul, the answer to those questions will determine whether the I-Pace is for you. Key features on vehicle tested Standard equipment: Antilock brakes; stability control; air suspension; leather seats and interior trim; push-button start; USB port; automatic climate control; power seats; memory for driver settings; fixed sunroof; 360-degree camera; adaptive cruise control; blind spot alert; lane departure alert; parking assist; traffic sign recognition; navigation; voice recognition; Bluetooth compatible; hill start assist; autonomous emergency braking; emergency brake assist; ash wood veneer; heated steering wheel; 18-way heated and cooled front seats; memory for driver and passenger settings; 825-watt Meridian audio; 20-in. split-spoke wheels; Options: None. Note from auto critic Mark Phelan: After this review posted, Jaguar reported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard on all I-Paces when public sales begin. Assuming the systems are properly executed, they should reduce problems with smart phones and some infotainment features. Mark Phelan is the Detroit Free Press auto critic. Prices and availability in Australia may differ. MCT [© afr.com] + https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/dutch-start-up-three-wheels-united-bets-big-on-e-autorickshaws/article25279916.ece Dutch start-up Three Wheels United bets big on e-autorickshaws 2018-10-21 Dutch start-up Three Wheels United bets big on e-autorickshaws 2018-10-21 With growing public interest in electric vehicles, a Dutch start-up Three Wheels United (TWU) is betting big on the electric autorickshaw market ... 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