The new Jaguar I-PACE will form the heart of an all-new zero-emissions luxury chauffeur service to and from Heathrow Airport. As many as 200 I-PACEs will be available at Heathrow as part of a deal with WeKnowGroup, creating one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the UK.
The zero emissions chauffeur service will begin running in summer 2018 with the delivery of 50 I-PACE vehicles, along with the option to add a further 150. Having been designed from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle, the I-PACE has a compact footprint but spacious interior, with generous seating for five and their luggage. Paired with its near-silent electric motor and passenger conveniences – including six USB chargers and four-zone climate control – the I-PACE is the ideal luxury chauffeur car.
Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK MD, said:
“What we have created in the Jaguar I-PACE is utterly revolutionary; a desirable, luxurious and state-of-the-art electric vehicle that’s practical for genuine everyday use, including the tough life of an airport luxury chauffeur car.”
“We have had huge interest and positivity from our customers worldwide. We’re also delighted that this endorsement extends to some of the biggest corporations on the planet. Through our partnership with Waymo (formerly Google self-driving car project) and this latest deal with Heathrow and WeKnowGroup, we’re excited to be bringing the electric future to more people than ever before.”
The Jaguar I-PACE’s state-of-the-art 90kWh Lithium-ion battery uses 432 pouch cells, delivering a range of 300 miles. On average a chauffeur vehicle drives around 114 miles per day, allowing the I-PACE vehicles to easily complete a whole day’s driving on a single charge – even with passengers, in winter and with motorway driving. With the ability to charge at 100kWh, I-PACE can be ‘refuelled’ from 0% to 80% in just 40 minutes.
The I-PACE is also already compliant with London’s January 2020 ‘zero emissions-capable’ requirements for private hire vehicles. With an efficient electric motor and fewer moving parts than a traditional combustion-engined car, I-PACE also brings significantly reduced running costs. Service intervals are set at two-years/ 21,000 miles – far longer than a traditional car – meaning less down time and reduced costs for operators.
For ultimate peace-of-mind, I-PACE also comes with an eight-year/ 100,000-mile battery warranty and three-year/ 62,000-mile whole vehicle warranty.
Heathrow joins a number of other Airports running EV taxis. Amsterdam has a fleet of Tesla Model X vehicles.
