Jaguar Highlights Electric Car Efficiency By Crossing The Channel To Brussels

One of the many reasons we love electric vehicles (EV) is, presumably, because we love efficiency. Compared to the woefully pushy, but highly asthmatic, internal combustion engine (ICE), the electric motor “suffers” from the opposite problem — it’s too darn efficient. In fact, it’s so efficient that it needs to tune down. A gasoline engine requires better airflow, less friction, again and again just to make it 40% efficient (and only within a restricted RPM range) whereas an electric motor is easily 85% efficient. Must we go on? Jaguar just showed how efficient the electric drivetrain is.

London To Brussels Underwater With The Highly Efficient Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car

If you want to claim something, then prove it. Jaguar has put the I-PACE through its paces in various environments. Our very own Steve Hanley was fortunate enough to cover the official unveiling in Portugal. Since then, the car was prominently shown three weeks ago at Pebble Beach. More recently, Jaguar demonstrated that its I-PACE is very efficient EV (with a fairly large battery) by driving from south of London to Brussels and arriving with electricity to spare.

The Jaguar I-PACE drove 229 miles (369 km) from London to Brussels on a single charge with 8% battery charge left in reserve when it arrived. Using its full 90 kWh battery pack, it headed for the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone and took the service Channel Tunnel under the sea for about 31 miles (50 km).

According to Newspress, Stephen Boulter, Vehicle Integration Manager for the Jaguar I-PACE, said: “We know customers won’t compromise on everyday usability so we engineered our electric performance SUV to deliver outstanding real-world range. By driving the 229 miles (369km) from London to Brussels on a single charge — and arriving with plenty of range left — we’ve demonstrated how comfortably it deals with long-distance journeys.”

Jaguar I-PACE At A Glance

• 90kWh Lithium-ion
• 0-60 MPH in 4.5 seconds
• 292-mile range (WLTP cycle)
• 0-80% charging time of 40 minutes (100kW DC)
• Home charging with an AC wall box (7kW) over 10 hours

EVs Have Must Prioritize Efficiency Over Luxury

I don’t know about you, but the “luxury” bombardment is taking its toll on this communicator. After experiencing the Byton M-Byte, I feel all modern EVs have a certain amount of luxury that needs no screaming. Maybe there are enough startups biting at the heels of well-established luxury carmakers, no? And isn’t efficiency one of the biggest draws to EVs anyway?

Here’s what Jaguar wants you to know:

• The amount of energy the I-PACE used to carry out this 229 mile (369 km) trip is the equivalent of the energy generated from just 41 turns of a wind turbine, taking just under two minutes*.
• If  you were to take one trip of this distance per month, switching from a conventional engine SUV of similar size and power to an EV like the I-PACE, you would:
  • Reduce your CO2 consumption by up to nearly half a tonne (476kg) per year*.
  • Save nearly £1,000 (£945) per year in fuel*.

Thank you Jaguar for talking about the I-PACE’s efficiency.

*All calculations are made with Manufacturer’s figures and average fuel and electricity prices in the UK. Correct at time of going to press.