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Nearly-ready electric Jaguar XJ gets scrapped even as JLR announces its EV push

A smattering of news from Jaguar Land Rover landed this morning concerning the brands’ electric futures. One sentence partway through JaguarÂ’s long press release caught our eye, though, and it has to do with the Jaguar XJ. “Although the nameplate may be retained, the planned Jaguar XJ replacement will not form part of the lineup, as the brand looks to realize its unique potential,” the press release states. If youÂ’ve been following Jaguar XJ news, youÂ’d know that Jaguar planned on making the next-generation XJ a fully electric car. ItÂ’s been in development for several years. Jaguar has been talking it up pre-reveal, and weÂ’ve even spied the car out testing a couple times. We were expecting a debut event for this new electric XJ to happen any time now. Theoretically, it should fit in perfectly with JaguarÂ’s vision to sell 100% electric cars by 2030, right? Apparently not, because itÂ’s dead. We contacted Jaguar to get a better explanation for what is going on here. Jaguar XJ 1 View 10 Photos When queried, a spokesperson sent us this in response: “Following a thorough technology review against the exponential change in the automotive industry, we concluded that the planned XJ replacement does not fit with our vision for a re-imaged Jaguar brand. We have made the tough decision that it will not form part of the lineup, as the brand looks to realize its unique potential. However, the nameplate may be retained.” To make doubly sure that Jaguar is indeed throwing out a nearly-ready EV the same day it announces an all-EV future, we asked again, and Jaguar confirmed. “We were working on an XJ EV, but have moved on to a different approach for the entire Jaguar EV lineup vision based around a new unique Jaguar EV dedicated platform, all due in 2025,” a spokesperson sent us. So there you have it. The electric XJ was said to be built on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform, and Jaguar touted it as "the world's first, full-electric luxury sports saloon.” Now that thereÂ’s a new Jaguar-dedicated EV platform in the works, the XJ on the MLA platform is canned. We asked Jaguar for more details about the why of this situation, and the above, quoted explanation hints at it. Maybe the “technology review” found that the car Jag was putting together just didnÂ’t measure up to the competition? The new platform will certainly offer much better performance and range than JaguarÂ’s current technology is capable of.

Jaguar upgrades I-Pace with increased range for free

Jaguar launched the I-Pace eTrophy racing series in 2018, and ever since, it's been collecting data on its battery electric crossover. Using that research, Jaguar has managed small refinements that incrementally improve how the car runs and drives. In past times, these types of upgrades were implemented during a refresh or redesign, but thanks to the computerized nature of modern vehicles, tuning information can be relayed to the vehicles immediately. Installed by dealers, Jaguar is releasing a free I-Pace software update that affects the battery, aerodynamics and all-wheel-drive system.   Jaguar already offers one of the best battery-operated vehicles on the road today, but the competition pool is quickly improving and becoming more crowded. In order to keep the I-Pace fresh, Jaguar decided to share its learnings from its eTrophy racing series and "more than 50 million miles" of real-world driving.  As it stands, the I-Pace packs a 90-kWh lithium-ion battery that is EPA-rated at 234 miles on a single charge. It has 394 maximum horsepower, 512 lb-ft of torque, and Jaguar claims it can do 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. With the new update, Jaguar says the battery can "run to a lower state of charge than previously without affecting drivability, durability, or performance." This only affects range and efficiency, though, not power. All I-Paces are all-wheel-drive, and the update directly affects the car's traction system. Jaguar has refined the torque distribution between the front and rear motors, which improves the car's efficiency in ECO mode. A third update deals with the car's aerodynamics. Jaguar has refined thermal management control by using the active radiator vane system more frequently. Finally, small tweaks also improved the regenerative braking system.   All said, these upgrades potentially equate to an 8% increase in range, which is about 12 miles, depending on usage. Jaguar did note, however, that the official EPA number would not change. Those who own I-Paces can take their cars to a local dealership, and a technician will update the software, which also includes advanced over-the-air functionality. 

Jaguar sets a lap record at a near-forgotten French race track

If asked to name any race track in France, most racing and car enthusiasts would probably answer the Circuit de la Sarthe, known for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Then there's the famous Magny-Cours or Circuit Paul Ricard, but not everyone remembers the Circuit de Charade near Clermont-Ferrand. This challenging track has been called a "twistier and faster" version of the Nurburgring, and in its original five-mile form, it barely had any straights. Formula 1 races were held there in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but safety concerns saw the French Grand Prix moved to Paul Ricard for most of the 1970s and 1980s, alternating with Dijon-Prenois. Later on, the track was essentially halved during modernization work, and it's now largely used for track days. The full length circuit was last used in 1988. This history lesson about a seemingly forgotten French race track is due to one good reason: Jaguar has returned to the venue to set a lap time with a new, all-wheel drive XE. The flying lap of the full five-mile track was the first one in 30 years, and the 4-minute, 9-second lap time set by Belgian racing driver Vincent Radermecker now stands as a record. Due to changes and the fact that the track originally utilized parts of public roads, the lap now included two gateways and a roundabout. Unshockingly, those weren't around in its racing days. The comparisons with the Nurburgring are apt, as Radermecker's comment confirms. "I set the production (sedan) record at the Nurburgring in the XE SV Project 8 last year and this lap was every bit as demanding. The longest straight is barely 600 metres, so I can see why drivers used to call this the French Nurburgring." The Jaguar used for the record lap is an XE 300 Sport, which is powered by Jaguar's 300-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. It hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, and the average speed on the Charade lap was 72 mph. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Jaguar XE record lap View 9 Photos Image Credit: Jaguar Jaguar Automotive History jaguar xe