Jaguar has unveiled its new Type 01 Grand Tourer electric hatchback in production-bound form, hailing it as the most powerful and aerodynamic road product the brand has ever built.
Boasting up to 1,016 hp and 1,007 lb.-ft. of torque from its 850-volt electric architecture, the model claims a 0-to-62 mph sprint time in just 3.2 seconds, according to Jaguar Land Rover’s Oct. 6 release.
With 118 kWh of usable energy from its battery pack, the Type 01 claims a maximum range of up to 400 EPA miles between charges and a 200-mile range delivered in 13 minutes when topping up on a 350-kW fast charger, according to Jaguar.
Naturally, higher speed sustained on highways, such as Jaguar’s quoted test speed of 75 mph, cuts total range to 320 miles. Also, the total range claims are based on the vehicle using the optional 21-inch wheels versus the standard 23-inch hoops.
Jaguar claims a coefficient of drag for the Type 01 of just 0.23 thanks to active vanes, three‑stage deployable spoiler and an airflow optimization program.
Jaguar plans to price the Type 01 at $130,500 in the U.S., while European on-the-road pricing will land significantly higher.
Probably the most striking change versus the original Type 00 concept car is the disappearance of the bright pastel exterior colors. The Type 01 switches to a range of white and black, with subdued greys and blues to copper, in gloss or the option of a satin finish.
Production of the Type 01 will start next year at Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant in the U.K.’s Midlands region operations, with its electric drive units and battery packs made in nearby Wolverhampton. Pressed body panels will be manufactured in JLR’s Halewood plant, Merseyside.
JLR repeated its strategy to target double‑digit growth over the next five years, focused on expansion in North America, exploring diversified customer segments and adopting flexibility of powertrains.
“The unveiling of Type 01 marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Jaguar,” said JLR’s CEO PB Balaji in a company statement. “Combining British heritage, bold creativity, advanced technology and groundbreaking engineering, it reflects our ambition to create objects of desire that will help us invite a new generation of clients into Jaguar’s loyal and passionate customer base.”
Analyst opinion
In one of the latest surveys from media monitoring and intelligence company Carma International, just 14% responded positively to the prospect of an electric Jaguar while 22% were negative, according to Ryan Boulter, Carma’s Senior Business Consultant and mobility lead.
Boulter points to comments on the U.K.’s BBC public broadcaster saying the brand’s journey is moving “from woke ridicule to real car” as illustrating how polarizing the past two years have been.
However, media reports that the Type 01 is too wide for standard U.K. parking spaces are being read as a deliberate pivot away from the home market, said Boulter in comments emailed to WardsAuto.
“A brand cannot lean on its Britishness while appearing to build for somewhere else,” Boulter said.
“To appeal to the audiences who value the brand's rich heritage, it should lean into the narrative around the car's engineering line back to the XK120, E-Type and XJ-C,” said Boulter. “Benchmarking the new car against those models is the one thread that ties the reinvention to the history, and that's what produced Jaguar's best press every time it appeared.”
