Tearing up the rules with the I-PACE – How we designed an electric car

The I-PACE is the first European all-electric vehicle from a luxury brand. Its importance is huge, not just for Jaguar, but for the whole British and European car industry.

Designing a new car is a challenge, but with the I-PACE, my team faced a completely clean slate. We had to re-write the rule book and learn to design for a completely new type of vehicle.

New rules

Jaguar has always generated new and innovative ideas. This move into electrification is in character with our culture, but it’s certainly a big step forward.

With an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, we work around the engine. In the I-PACE there is no large engine to speak of, so we could start from the ground up. We have a set of wheels and a platform and, apart from the many regulations, that’s as far as our constraints go. It was really up to us to decide what went on top.

We worked out what was best for the occupants, and also what works best for factors such as aerodynamics, engineering, manufacturing and other areas we would normally take into consideration. But we accommodated them in a slightly different way because the rule book was gone. It wasn’t about thinking of new ideas as such, it was more about creating something around a new idea.

New people

Jaguar design and engineering are highly integrated. With I-PACE we brought in a whole new team and way of working. As well as packaging, engineering and manufacturing, we have a growing electrical department which manages the battery technologies and related items, as well as new motor technology from our powertrain department.

Even though most departments we collaborate with have a process we know well, there is clearly a big difference this time because we haven’t made a car like this before. With an ICE car we receive most of the dimensions to work to in advance because we deal with familiar architectures. Most of us, including the engineers, usually know the answer early on. However, this time there were many unknowns to work with and more problem-solving required, which came about as we progressed through the programme. Naturally this programme required more research and innovation than simply pure experience and historic results. We created the shape that defined all the parameters of the car. I-PACE was much more design-led – we were all learning together.

New challenges

We consciously chose to design an SUV for the I-PACE. We knew the height of the vehicle would be challenging as the battery sits underneath. Rather than combat that natural height, we embraced it and decided the car should be an SUV. It was also clear to us that the SUV market was growing considerably.

The biggest challenge was making the aerodynamics as efficient as possible. This was extremely important to maximise the range. The shape of the I-PACE is deliberately designed and engineered to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. The way the air flows through the bonnet, rather than over it, combines with the profile of the roof and the rear window to enhance the aerodynamics. Better aerodynamics gives a better overall range. The front grille form is different because the upper part still takes in air, but this is then channelled through the bonnet and over the windscreen, holding the air tightly to the surface of the car, while the lower half still absorbs air for a radiator grille, which cools the battery.

As well as challenges, an electric powertrain offered some really exciting opportunities. Given that we weren’t encumbered with a big engine taking up space, we could move the occupants forward, giving more space to those in the rear. We maximised the opportunity to get as much usable space in the I-PACE as we could.

Being a Jaguar, the car needed attitude and a sense of direction, so we exaggerated the cab-forward look to give a sense of drama and visual excitement. We wanted to break the norm.

… but still a Jaguar

It was really important that we maintained the Jaguar DNA. The first and most obvious thing we did was to give the front face of the car familiar features to our current range. We did that unapologetically and quite deliberately.

We made sure the I-PACE has exciting proportions to give that sense of drama and excitement all Jaguars should have, albeit in a slightly different way for this car. We also created a sense of clarity and beauty in the lines of the car. Beautiful execution of lines is very much in Jaguar’s DNA. These are still there on I-PACE, just in a slightly different order.

I genuinely believe the I-PACE will be the template for the future of a lot of electric cars.

To see more about how the I-PACE was designed and engineered, click here