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Jaguar CEO says people just don't want EVs right now

"Customers are not impressed with it currently." These are the words of one Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, spoke at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Birmingham, England. The "it" Speth is referring to is battery technology, which he characterized as "too heavy, too expensive," and with power density that's "too low." That all could go some way towards explaining why the British automaker has yet to bring an electric vehicle to market, why it killed the C-X75 hybrid-turbine supercar project, and why it only recently started offering hybrid versions of its Range Rover models (and has yet to offer them in the United States). That doesn't mean the company won't pursue electric propulsion in the future, though. According to Automotive News Europe, Speth forecasts that "the next generation of batteries will be higher density, lower weight and the cost will come down." What he didn't say, exactly, is when he expects that next generation of battery tech to come around – or when JLR will start to more closely embrace electric propulsion. In the meantime, Jaguar Land Rover will continue investing in research and development. Since Tata acquired the brands from Ford seven years ago, JLR has quadrupled its R&D budget and doubled the number of engineers on staff. Related Video:

More Jaguar F-Pace details revealed [w/video]

The Jaguar F-Pace will make its full debut on September 15 at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. But for folks like us that want every detail about the compact crossover ahead of time, Jaguar is continuing the ongoing tease. This time, the company puts the emphasis on the CUV's suspension development and includes a video to prove that it works. The F-Pace is promising to be quite a crisp handler with a double-wishbone layout for the front suspension and an integral link setup at the rear. Cornering is further enhanced by an all-wheel-drive system that features torque vectoring adapted from the F-Type. Stopping shouldn't be an issue either because the brakes are also based on the units from the sports car. In addition, the company is making the lofty promise that crossover's electric power-assisted power steering offers "greater feedback and control than hydraulic systems." Production of the crossover should get underway at the Solihull, UK, factory soon because the F-Pace hits the market in 2016. The powertrain range is expected to include the new Ingenium four-cylinder engine family and the brand's fantastic sounding, supercharged V6. All the details should be officially revealed in Frankfurt, though. Until then, give the F-Pace a listen in the clip below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. JAGUAR F-PACE: THE ULTIMATE PRACTICAL JAGUAR SPORTS CAR 26/08/15 Double wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension enable exceptional handling and ride comfort Outstanding agility delivered by F-TYPE-derived technologies including Torque Vectoring2 Electric power-assisted steering designed to give immediate response and connected feel Debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September On sale in 2016 (MAHWAH, N.J.) - August 25, 2015 - Featuring sports-car derived chassis systems and evaluated on the same demanding roads as all other Jaguar vehicles, the new F-PACE will bring new levels of dynamic ability to the brand when it goes on sale in 2016, after debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. The new F-PACE will reward drivers and passengers alike with a blend of agility and comfort that is unique to the small performance SUV segment; making it the most practical Jaguar sports car ever.

Jaguar XJ220 hooned remotely by a kid

The Tax the Rich crew has a knack for indulging in automotive fantasies and capturing it all on video, such as a tug-of-war battle between two Ferrari F50s, drifting a Ferrari Enzo on gravel roads and even powersliding a Rolls-Royce Phantom on a field of wet grass. This latest video features a Jaguar XJ220 and a kid with an iPad, who somehow is able to control the old supercar with the Apple product.
No, there's no app for that (yet), and we lied - the boy isn't actually controlling the car - but it sure is nice to see the XJ220 in all its turbocharged, six-cylinder glory doing donuts and sliding across a grassy field. It jolts us to see the old Jaguar - capable of 217 miles per hour and once described by Jeremy Clarkson as having no brakes and massive turbo lag - thrown about like a rally car, but then we never imagined anybody would abuse a Rolls-Royce like that either. We'll continue to leave the high-stakes antics to Tax the Rich - we're just glad somebody had the guts to behave so badly in such a valuable machine. What else were they made for?
Be sure to check out the video below, if you have a pulse.