On paper, the 2020 Jaguar I-Pace EV 400 HSE is just about perfect. First, just look at it. Low, lean, lithe---cat-like.
It is all-electric and it has plenty of power from its dual electric motors---394 horsepower and a staggering 512 pounds per foot of torque. That's good for 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds, so it is a bona fide performance vehicle. And the handling is superb. I had a blast carving up winding Sierra Nevada foothill two-lane roads.
And the range on a single charge is 234 miles. Not a world-beater, but in what is currently considered a very respectable group of vehicles that can deliver between 200 and 250 miles per charge.
The interior is lovely and luxurious, with thoughtful touches like the built-in coat hanger on the driver's side seatback.
In a week at the wheel, there's only one downside I could find.
Range is only half of the equation for EVs. The other half is charging time. And the I-Pace, as fast as it is on the road, is slow on the charger.
At a time when manufacturers are touting 80% recharge in the range of 40-50 minutes, it's a shock to pull up to a 150kw DC fast charging unit with 43% charge for a quick top-off, spend 20 minutes getting to 61% and be told it'll take an hour to get to full.
As for topping it off on home with the household AC converter that comes with the car, well...
That's right. 55 hours and 9 minutes, starting at 38%.
The base price of the 2020 Jaguar I-Pace EV 400 HSE is $80,900 (the I-Pace S starts at $69,850) . The window sticker is at the end of this review, so you can see for yourself, but among the highlights of the standard equipment list at that price are a fixed panoramic roof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, Windsor leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone climate control and an 825-watt Meridian surround-sound system.
Our tester also had extra-cost options, including $710 for the Caesium Blue Metallic paint, $549 for the premium interior protection pack, $259 for the chrome wheel lock pack, $250 for the heated steering wheel, $229 for the basic rear seat convenience pack, $199 for the panoramic sunshade pack, $100 for front fog lights and $55 for a car care kit.
With $1,025 destination and delivery, the as-tested price of the 2020 Jaguar I-Pace is $84,276.
I still love it. The looks, feel and performance make the price absolutely worth it. But for the I-Pace to be truly competitive, Jaguar needs to address the charging time issue---and quickly.
