Frankfurt Motor Show. Jaguar unveils electric vehicle race series, I-PACE eTrophy
After becoming the first premium manufacturer to enter Formula E in 2016, Jaguar has created the world’s first production battery electric vehicle race series.
The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY will be the support series race for the FIA Formula E championship, taking place on the same weekends and at the same city circuits, starting in late 2018.
Exclusively featuring Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race cars, the new all-electric series will give racers of the future a chance to showcase their talent, competing on the world stage in zero-emissions motorsport.
The new championship will support the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE – Jaguar’s five-seat battery electric sports car which hits the road in the same year.
Up to 20 electric I-PACE race cars will be on the grid in the centre of 10 races in global cities including Hong Kong, Paris, Sao Paolo and New York, giving future Formula E stars the chance to race in the world-first series.
Says Jaguar Racing chairman Gerd Mäuser: “We’ve always said we want to prove our electrification technologies on the track – this is the proof. I am looking forward to seeing a full grid of Jaguar I-PACE race cars in late 2018, soon after the first Jaguar I-PACE hits the road in Europe. ”
Adds Formula E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag: “I’m delighted that we will be adding to our race-day schedule with a competitive new support series for season five. The Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy will bring more entertainment for fans in-between sessions and will be a further testament to the advances in battery technology and exciting electric performance.”
Jaguar’s eTrophy series looks set to be the world’s first FIA-sanctioned international production-based electric vehicle series.
The announcement follows news that the British government is to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2040 and reinforces Jaguar Land Rover’s commitment to electrification – from 2020 all of its new model lines will be electrified, with either hybrid or battery technology.
