I‑PACE CONCEPT: DESIGN DETAILS
I‑PACE Concept allowed our designers the luxury of an uncompromised electric-only platform from the beginning.
“This isn’t just a concept. This is a preview of Jaguar's first all-electric performance SUV that will be on the road in 2018. This will be Jaguar’s first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of our legendary brand.”
Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design
I‑PACE Concept allowed our designers the luxury of an uncompromised electric-only platform from the beginning. With a large battery pack between the wheels and motors on each axle, we had the opportunity to change the fundamental proportions of an SUV.
Firstly, with no engine to accommodate up front, the bonnet has no need to be as long as regular cars. As a result, the cabin can be pushed more towards the front of the car to give a purposeful ‘cab-forward’ look from the outside while creating much more space inside – including 70mm of leg room for rear passengers.
This in turn allows for a bigger front windscreen, which alongside the full-length panoramic glass roof, creates a greater feeling of space for all passengers.
“We agreed upon this ‘cab-forward’ design in the early stages, which really is key for the front part of the roof line, but also for the impression of space inside.”
Dr Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover Technical Design Director
Meanwhile, keeping the front and rear overhangs as short as possible and lengthening the space between the front and rear wheels – in order to house the larger battery pack vital to the car’s longer range (up to 500km) – gives the car a much more solid stance on the road.
Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design
I‑PACE Concept allowed our designers the luxury of an uncompromised electric-only platform from the beginning. With a large battery pack between the wheels and motors on each axle, we had the opportunity to change the fundamental proportions of an SUV.
Firstly, with no engine to accommodate up front, the bonnet has no need to be as long as regular cars. As a result, the cabin can be pushed more towards the front of the car to give a purposeful ‘cab-forward’ look from the outside while creating much more space inside – including 70mm of leg room for rear passengers.
This in turn allows for a bigger front windscreen, which alongside the full-length panoramic glass roof, creates a greater feeling of space for all passengers.
“We agreed upon this ‘cab-forward’ design in the early stages, which really is key for the front part of the roof line, but also for the impression of space inside.”
Dr Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover Technical Design Director
Meanwhile, keeping the front and rear overhangs as short as possible and lengthening the space between the front and rear wheels – in order to house the larger battery pack vital to the car’s longer range (up to 500km) – gives the car a much more solid stance on the road.
Jaguar I‑PACE Concept | Design From Race to Road
Despite this pleasing visual sense of solidity, I‑PACE Concept is aerodynamically excellent for its class. Features that help to achieve its 0.29Cd drag co-efficient include the body’s curvy silhouette which lowers at higher speeds to smoothly cut through the air; door handles that stay flush with their panels and only deploy when needed; and cooling inlets that shut off when not required. There’s also a large aero-optimised air channel from the front grille to the base of the front windscreen – similar to Jaguar’s C-X75 concept car’s – which improves airflow when air does need to find a way through.
What is perhaps less known about aero efficiency is that the shape of the back of the car is at least as important as the front. To that end, a slim rear spoiler reduces lift; the rakish angle of the rear window is aerodynamically beneficial (while still able to boast 530 litres of luggage space underneath) and the rear vents – where the exhaust pipes would be on a normal car – channel turbulent air from the rear wheel arches into better shape behind the vehicle.
These are just a few of the ways in which the I‑PACE Concept’s superb aesthetics contribute to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. It is this efficiency that helps to retain as much battery power as possible to extend the car’s range.
What is perhaps less known about aero efficiency is that the shape of the back of the car is at least as important as the front. To that end, a slim rear spoiler reduces lift; the rakish angle of the rear window is aerodynamically beneficial (while still able to boast 530 litres of luggage space underneath) and the rear vents – where the exhaust pipes would be on a normal car – channel turbulent air from the rear wheel arches into better shape behind the vehicle.
These are just a few of the ways in which the I‑PACE Concept’s superb aesthetics contribute to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. It is this efficiency that helps to retain as much battery power as possible to extend the car’s range.
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