Jaguar Open to Producing an Electric Hypercar
Following the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV’s launch, the British luxury brand may have plans for a battery-electric hypercar.
Noting the I-Pace’s scalable architecture and potential to deliver torque independently to each axle, I-Pace engineering manager, Dave Shaw, told Motoring in a Friday report that a hypercar is not out of the question.
“I think, personally, moving forwards, once people accept that actually there’s more benefits that come with an EV rather than negatives, why would that not work in a hypercar?” he said.
Shaw noted the competition moving on the electric supercar and hypercar segment and pointed specifically to Rimac and McLaren. Ferrari also reportedly has a battery-electric powertrain in the works.
SEE ALSO: Jaguar i-Pace First Drive: 5 Things I Learned After 3 Minutes Behind the Wheel
Jaguar once toyed with the idea of an electrified supercar in 2010 with the stunning C-X75. The car boasted a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with two electric motors. The powertrain gave the C-X75 500 horsepower and enough gusto to crack 62 mph in under three seconds. The C-X75 has since entered a stillborn stage.
Although Shaw sounded keen on an electric hypercar, such a vehicle likely isn’t in the immediate pipeline. First, Jaguar will roll out the I-Pace and other electric cars built on the same scalable platform. The strategy will help Jaguar recoup the funds spent on developing the architecture. Then, we may expect Jaguar to let its hair down.
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[Source: Motoring]
A version of this story originally appeared on Hybrid Cars.
More by Sean Szymkowski
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CX-75 could be one of the most beautiful cars ever penned...