Filmed at Seret Studios in Brooklyn ahead of the North American debut of the I-PACE, the industrial dockside location was the ideal place to demonstrate the speed and agility of the performance SUV. A new electric performance brand from Volvo Car Group, Polestar, made its North American Debut at Pebble Beach. Lifan is in dire straits, with sales plummeting down 77% year-on-year so far in 2016. The X70 and X40 the brand unveiled in Shanghai last year were all bluff: they never saw the light of day. With 20 production-based Jaguar I-PACE SV race cars with identical specifications going head-to-head, it’s down to driver skill and team tactics to decide who will be crowned champion. However, you could also take the view that the I-Pace represents an entirely new engineering challenge for the company, so the firm is in unchartered waters. The trunk can take up to 23.1 cubic feet of luggage with the rear seats in place and up to 51.3 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. Mercedes-Benz has yet to unveil info on legroom and trunk space.
The software was revised specifically for this model and now displays info on the battery range, charge status, and energy flow. While I favor Merc’s "two displays under one screen" layout, I also like the I-Pace’s cool looking center console and clean center stack. The already iconic round A/C vents were skipped for this model, replaced by rectangular one with rose-gold blades. The center stack looks clean and simple, with a pair of A/C vents at the top and a massive infotainment display in the center. Tech-wise, the EQC stands out thanks to the company’s recently introduced MBUX infotainment system. The navigation system assesses the topography of the route to destination and insights from previous journeys, including driving style, and calculates personalized range and charging status with accuracy. The forthcoming E-PACE is said to have sports car like design elements, agile driving dynamics, and functional, everyday practicality. They range from a humble Ford hatchback to a Porsche race car.
The vehicle will rival the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Mitsubishi Pajero, Chevrolet Trailblazer, etc. Based on the company’s lightweight MQB platform, the Tiguan is larger than before and is thankfully more spacious inside, too. After becoming the first premium manufacturer to enter the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in 2016, Jaguar has now created the world’s first production battery electric vehicle race series - the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY. Later this year Waymo will launch the world’s first self-driving transportation service allowing members of the public to use Waymo’s app to request a vehicle. Thanks to its advanced natural speech recognition software, it recognizes and understands nearly all sentences when it comes to multimedia and vehicle operation. The vehicle displayed Thursday was the actual production version of the SUV that will go on sale later this year. If the I-Pace production SUV follows the concept, it will have a pair of synchronous permanent magnet electric motors, one integrated into each axle.
One car reported a high-voltage short and refused to power on when a driver thumbed the start button. You’ll be able to find out if the car is locked, the charging level of the battery, or if you have enough range to get to work. Power is stored in a liquid cooled 90-kilowatt-hour lithium battery that the automaker expects will have an EPA real world driving range of around 220 miles. The Jaguar also features a battery pre-conditioning system that raises or lowers the temperature of the cells to maximize range. It now has EV-centric features like keeping track of power distribution and a helpful navigation feature that shows what your battery level should be at the destination of a route and at points along the way. The F-Type is a track star. The center console is also similar to other Mercs like the GLC, as is the steering wheel with swipe controls.