Jaguar is to be reinvented as a pure electric car brand by 2025 with a “dramatically beautiful” range of new cars.
The pivot will see the famous British firm emerge as a direct rival to Tesla.
The electrification of Jaguar will build on the success of the highly-praised I-Pace, which was named World Car of the Year in 2019.
CEO Thierry Bollore told Motoring Research his personal car is currently a Jaguar I-Pace. “It is a great car… we have plenty of ideas to make it even better.”
Mr Bollore would not yet be drawn on what these plans are.
The new range of Jaguars will have a “best of the best” electric platform. Mr Bollore said it is too early to talk about what form this will take – because he wants the design team to have as much flexibility as possible in creating the new cars.
“Proportions are important: we will pair the shapes with the plaform once they have been designed.
“The designs are not far from being ready,” he added. More is “coming soon”.
‘Unique place’
The Jaguar EV plan builds on the firm’s unique place in the global automotive industry, explained Mr Bollore (pictured above).
There will be an entire range of “emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies.
“Jaguar will exist to make live extraordinary by creating dramatically beautiful automotive experience that leave its customers feeling unique and rewarded.”
The new Jaguars will be built at Solihull, on a new advanced electric battery electric vehicle (BEV) architecture exclusive to Jaguar.
In a significant change from an earlier planned strategy, however, a planned all-electric Jaguar XJ will not form part of the line-up. Cancelling the project “was a tough decision, for sure,” said Mr Bollore.
The nameplate “may be retained,” says the firm.
Many activities at the traditional Jaguar engineering base in Whitley, Coventry will move to Gaydon, as all non-manufacturing infrastructure is focused at ‘the heart of the brand’.
Jaguar has already opened an all-new design centre at the giant Midlands facility.
Current Jaguars will continue to be assembled at Castle Bromwich for the remainder of their life – and the facility will remain open even after production ceases.
The facility will be repurposed into a site that amalgamates numerous Jaguar Land Rover facilities scattered across the Midlands.
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Hi a message to Mr Bollore, or anyone else with an interest in electric vehicles… what is needed is easily replaceable terminal electrodes, I have some experience in electro chemical process.