New Jaguar electric prototype begins testing on public roads

Jaguar’s transformation into an all-electric brand has moved closer, as the company has started testing the prototypes of its all-new electric car on public roads this week. Jaguar says the car has already completed ‘tens of thousands of miles of virtual and physical testing’, and the tests on Britain’s public roads will soon be followed by testing on public roads and test sites around the world.

While the car seen on Britain’s roads is a disguised prototype of the actual production model, on 2 December, during the Miami Art Week, JLR will present a concept that will serve as a vision of what the new car and company would be like.

Jaguar new electric prototype styling details  

While the new Jaguar’s styling details are well camouflaged, what’s clear from the pictures are the car’s proportions. Jaguar says it will be a 4-door GT. The prototype clearly shows an elongated bonnet with a rear-set cabin and a swooping coupe-like roofline with a small, flat-deck boot lid. Also evident from the shots are a very upright nose, a long overall length and large tyres.

Interestingly, there appears to be a large, tacked-on rectangular grille-like piece upfront. With this being an EV, it’s likely to have been done intentionally to clue us in on a styling detail rather than being there for cooling purposes. Our sister publication, Autocar UK, reports that the car will have “a distinctive new grille motif envisioned as the new face of the Jaguar brand”.

Jaguar new electric prototype technical details 

The car will be built on a new dedicated electric architecture called JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture) and will be produced in Solihull in the UK. While further technical details are yet to be confirmed, what’s interesting to see is the upright nose, long bonnet and massive tyres – traits not typical of today’s ‘slipstreamed’ EVs designed to maximise aero efficiency in the pursuit of driving range. However, Autocar UK reports that the production car will have a range of over 700 km and put out around 580hp. The prices in the UK are expected to start at £100,000 (Rs 1 crore approximately).

For now, there’s no word on Jaguar’s India plans. However, given the brand’s Indian (Tata Motors) ownership and its operations in India, the electric 4-door GT will likely be headed here after its expected unveiling late next year.