From the outside, the I-Pace is a real showstopper. The cab-forward profile gives it a proper sense of drama, while the chopped nose flanked by frowning front lights hovering over the large air-intakes gives it a meaningful snarl. There is nothing apologetic about it. It’s green and mean. The rear end mirrors the front - it is squared-off with thin, beady wraparound lights. The bonnet is vented, there are large, technical-looking wheels, and polished panels give it a nipped-in waist. Flush doorhandles and a flying spoiler complete the picture. There is nothing about the car that makes you think the I-Pace is an EV. It’s a performance SUV first, an eco-wagon second. Under the polished skin you’ll find a smart and sophisticated operator. Power comes
courtesy of two concentric electric motors, one on each axle for permanent four-wheel power. To drive, it has the remorseless appeal of a Scalextric car - one that never spins off the track or burns through its brushes. There are no gears, you just squeeze the throttle as hard as you like and off you go. It doesn’t so much flatter your driving, as get on its knees in fawning obseqioiusness. Along with the digital dashboard and large
infotainement screen, it feels more like a driving game than driving in the real world. Some will hate that, but I loved it. So far, so very good. But now we come to the vexed issue of charging. Clearly topping up the battery is not like filling up at the petrol station. On a slow charge it takes up to 10 hours to do 80%, on a fast charge (if you can find a 100kW point) it’s 40 minutes. It’s complicated. There are different plugs and different providers, subscriptions and membershipsMost owners will charge at home or at work, but it’s all a bit chicken and egg. EVs need a charging infrastructure to be viable, but there aren’t enough EVs yet to justify a grid. But we’ll get there. Apart from anything, we have to
Jaguar I-Pace Price: £58,500 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds Top speed: 124mph Range: 292 miles Charge time: up to 13 hours Cost: 4.8p per mile
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