A longtime luxury sedan and sports car designer, Jaguar now plans to throw its considerable engineering prowess behind the development of exciting new electric powertrains. At 3Birds Template, we were blown away by the news that some of the most recent developments would be debuting at the third season of the FIA Formula E Championship.
Famous Racing History
It has been more than a decade since Jaguar made a real impression on the racing world, which is what makes this change so exciting. The brand was built on its racing wins, so this is really a return to its roots. Iconic cars like the C-, D-, and E-TYPE released through the '50s and early '60s romped to the winner’s circle time after time. Today, Jaguar seeks to return to the brand basics and repeat those earlier successes using a newer type of automobile: electric vehicles (EVs).
Getting Back on the Track
Jaguar's commitment to developing electric products for their vehicle line is without question. “I am proud to announce Jaguar's return to racing with an entry into the innovative FIA Formula E championship," said Nick Rogers, Group Engineering Director for Jaguar Land Rover. "Electric vehicles will absolutely play a role in Jaguar Land Rover's future product portfolio and Formula E will give us a unique opportunity to further our development of electrification technologies."
"The Championship will enable us to engineer and test our advanced technologies under extreme performance conditions. It is my belief that over the next five years we will see more changes in the automotive world than in the last three decades. The future is about being more connected and more sustainable; electrification and lightweight technologies are becoming more important than ever as urbanization continues to increase."
That is a pretty strong endorsement for electric vehicles and a statement of commitment to developing sustainable and green technologies to power ground transportation.
We can't wait to see what this will mean for the Jaguar brand as a whole and the F-TYPE sports car in particular. The gas-powered version already hits nearly 186 mph in the 550 hp version, so seeing a comparable electric version would be mind-blowing.
The current top speed for EVs is around 150 mph, with most topping out at around 100 mph. Putting the full force of Jaguar's engineering department behind ramping up those speeds could revolutionize performance. EVs already accelerate a lot faster than most of their gas-powered cousins. Though a faster top speed would set gas guzzlers on the path to obsolescence, it could be awhile before we see anything electric that can challenge the land speed record.
Preparation and Partnerships
Jaguar may not have been participating in the racing circuit, but that doesn't mean they haven't put out some incredibly fast cars and engines. The Bloodhound SSC will attempt to shatter previous land speed records in 2017, powered in part by the turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 engine used in the Jaguar F-TYPE sports car. If successful, this vehicle will hit 1,000 mph, leaving the previous record of 763 mph in the dust.
This engine won't be the power source on the Formula E track, but it gives us a lot of hope for the future of fast electric vehicles.
Welcome Back to Racing
Formula E has faced significant challenges, but CEO Alejandro Agag is confident that the Jaguar endorsement will help generate buzz and interest. It certainly did here at 3Birds Template. Watching Jaguar choose Formula E for their reentry into motorsports got our full attention.
The President of the FIA, Jean Todt, also extended a warm welcome to Jaguar: "We built this series to offer an alternative competition for manufacturers to step into the sport and develop road-relevant electric technologies...As it forges a path forward for the future of the electric car, Formula E managed to attract one of the most prestigious and historical brands across the automotive industry."
Gearing Up for Motorsports
Jaguar Team Director James Barclay also spoke out on the decision to choose Formula E: "This was such an important decision for Jaguar, and we wanted to get it right. With our future EV plans, Formula E was the obvious choice, and we believe that the benefits are enormous."
Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's top investor in research and development across all sectors. Choosing Formula E sends a message that much of the focus of that development moving forward will be into better EV technology. Along with the race team, Jaguar Land Rover engineers will create groundbreaking new vehicles to tackle the best in the field.
With more than 8,000 engineers on the payroll and a huge R&D department, Jaguar has a strong foundation to field a serious contender in the third season of Formula E. The FIA Formula E is a single-seater championship solely for electric vehicles and is a good fit for any car manufacturer working on expanding a line of electric options.
For Jaguar, this is an opportunity to work at the leading edge of EV development and put new technology to the test in a high-performance environment.
For us here at 3Birds Template, it is an opportunity to drive faster, cleaner vehicles. Current EVs many not be as fast as gas-powered cars, but they sure are quick, going from zero to 60 mph in just 1.7 seconds. Feel rapid acceleration as never before when you test-drive one of these quick cars. Call or contact us online today to schedule a test drive and enjoy a totally new driving experience.
Image: Jaguar
