Friday, June 15, 2018

FUTURE OF BEV'S IS SEEN IN 2019 JAGUAR I-PACE





The Jaguar I-Pace  is one electrified vehicle to copy. It is equal to any gasoline/diesel vehicle offering all the benefits of them and more. First seen at the 2016 LA Auto show the exterior looks close to the concept

The Jaguar BEV is an SUV with batteries flat like a skateboard under the body like Chevy Bolts and Tesla did before.  Not only allowed designers and engineers take advantage of the lower center of gravity but allowed them to use the space where batteries were often stored.
 
The Jaguar engineers and designers worked around the vehicle to make it look like a Jaguar should with all the amenities. The broad oval grill and J-blade headlamps are for sure all Jaguar. The aluminum architecture uses advanced riveting and bonding technology to deliver a light, stiff body structure. Together with the structural battery pack, it has a torsional rigidity of 36kNm/degree – the highest of any current Jaguar vehicle.

The battery is placed centrally between the two axles, and as low as possible with a seal between the housing and the underfloor. This location enables a 50:50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity. Together with the advanced double wishbone front and an Integral Link rear suspension with standard Active Air Suspension and optional configurable Adaptive Dynamics, this packaging delivers agile handling and outstanding ride comfort.






Its sleek, coupe-like silhouette was influenced by the Jaguar C-X75 supercar concept; drawing inspiration for its short, low hood, aero-enhanced roof design and curved rear window from the concept. This cab-forward design contrasts with its squared-off rear, helping reduce the coefficient of drag. The compact I-Pace gets a drag coefficient of .29 helping the I-Pace to get tremendous distance from the batteries.  

However, the exterior aero design does make entrance into the rear seating a challenge. Once inside the rear seating you are amazed at all the space and comfort. Surrounded by exquisite interior amenities expected in a Jaguar.

Driver and passengers have easy access to their seating. Since the front of the vehicle has no engine and need for some of the equipment required in a petrol model designers could introduce three large screens. One screen with a redesigned gauge cluster that can be customized to deliver driver information including turn-by-turn navigation and range information. A center stack has the Jaguar InControl Touch Duo Pro with a10-inch upper display that handles infotainment functions. The lower 5.5-inch screen operates climate control. The Jaguar I-Pace Navigation system can do more than just plan a destination. The system will tell you how much battery power you will need to take the route. It can even figure out your driving habits. 

The new EV navigation system built into Touch Pro Duo calculates personalized range and charging status to assist with driver confidence. To gather this data, the Touch Pro Duo system analyzes the topography of the selected route to the destination and aggregates that information with insights from previous journeys, including individual driving styles.

The advanced system uses ‘Smart Settings’ technology – driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms – to identify individual driver preferences, and then tailors the vehicle’s driving and interior settings accordingly.

With InControl you can choose between the two regeneration braking. A normal regeneration mode that regenerates battery when braking or coasting. You can select “Full Mode” which makes the I-Pace feel like a gas vehicle that has been put in sport mode or dropped to a lower gear.

To further enhance the I-Pace their App programs allow you to use the Smartphone to set up charging times and cabin pre-heating. If you have the Amazon Alexa you can operate many of the functions with it.

With a 432 pouch cell, 90kWh, lithium-ion battery pack, the I-PACE delivers an estimated range of 240 miles. Owners will be able to achieve a 0-80 percent battery charge in around 40 minutes using publicly available 100kW DC rapid charging facilities3. Home charging with a 230V/32A AC wall box (7kW) will achieve the same state of charge (0-80 percent) in just over ten hours – ideal for overnight charging.

To ensure customers always have access to the latest infotainment, telematics and battery energy control software, the I-PACE will also be the first Jaguar to provide Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) updates.


The center tunnel is not needed with the electric motor system. Designers took that
Space and built a large center console with abundant storage .

The designers also now could add a small trunk in the front where the engine use to sit!

By using electric motors on both drive shafts the I-Pace can deliver incredible horsepower and torque. Unlike internal combustion engines the horsepower and torque are immediate.  The torque curve they state is square. The electric motors are rated together on the I-Pace as 394 horsepower and 512 foot pounds of torque.

When normal driving is encountered the rear motor delivers all the power. When needed the front motor immediately delivers.  Automatically or when the driven pushes the pedal. Launching the I-Pace gives instantaneous performance expected in a Jaguar. Zero to 60 mph in  4.5 seconds.






The Jaguar I-Pace is a true vision of the future of BEV’s. The first battery powered vehicles were shown off nearly a decade ago many believe. But, truly GM introduced models over two decades ago. They were photographed and test driven by me in Philadelphia.  Bulky batteries took over storage and weighed the vehicle down. GM and their partners were far ahead of the competition.

With the Jaguar I-Pace even Tesla will take notes and most likely will have the vehicle broken down to evaluate the entire system.

The power of the electric motors allows for us to use the one pedal drive method.  Letting off on the power and the I-pace will slow down.  Since the Jaguar I-Pace has a regeneration system to recharge the batteries this is plus.

The engineers were brilliant in cooling the batteries to allow for continued use even at full throttle. To optimize the balance between cooling and aerodynamics, the I-PACE relies on Active Vanes in the grille which open when cooling is required and close when not needed; redirecting air through the integral hood scoop, further smoothing airflow around the vehicle.

Jaguar was aware of noise often associated with BEV vehicles and designed the I-Pace to be quiet. They even added an active noise system that allows you to tune precisely what sounds you get.

Pricing on the I-Pace begins at $10,000 less than the Tesla V at $69,500.00.  A premium model will be $85.000.00 plus.

When we get a production model to do a full test of the Jaguar I-Pace we will post our results.

BRUCE HUBBARD
BONNIE LYNCH
AUTO ADVISOR GROUP

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