Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🚗 Jaguar I-PACE, once dubbed a “Tesla Killer,” to be retired from the firm’s all-electric lineup by 2025.
- 🏆 The I-PACE gained recognition and awards, including the 2019 World Car of the Year.
- 📅 Recent comments from JLR CEO Adrian Mardell confirm the I-PACE’s departure and removal from sale in 2025.
- 🌐 The vehicle’s retirement coincides with the firm’s relaunch in 2025, introducing next-generation vehicles built on JEA electric architecture.
- 💼 Mardell highlights the I-PACE’s contribution to compliance with emissions targets and its influence on the development of other EVs.
- 🛢️ Despite its retirement, the I-PACE has played a role in shaping Jaguar’s electric vehicle strategy.
Once hailed as a “Tesla Killer,” the Jaguar I-PACE had its moment as a fierce competitor to Tesla. With a distinguished legacy automaker behind it and an arresting design bound to attract attention, the all-electric I-PACE seemed ideally poised to challenge Tesla’s dominance. It presented a strong countermeasure to Tesla’s lineup of Silicon Valley-styled electric vehicles.
The I-PACE wasn’t short of momentum. Garnering a slew of automotive awards, this “Tesla Killer” secured 62 international honors, including the prestigious 2019 World Car of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Design and Best Green Car. Notably, it achieved this feat despite the already available Tesla Model 3.
However, according to recent statements by JLR CEO Adrian Mardell to Autocar UK, the Jaguar I-PACE will no longer feature in the company’s forthcoming all-electric lineup. It will exit the market ahead of the firm’s relaunch in 2025, alongside the current model range. Interestingly, Mardell’s predecessor, Thierry Bolloré, had previously hinted at the I-PACE’s continuous improvement.
While the exact retirement date of the I-PACE remains undisclosed, Jaguar has announced plans to unveil its next-generation vehicles in late 2024. Expected to be built upon the company’s JEA electric architecture, these vehicles are slated for a 2025 launch.
Mardell explained, “We don’t want the product to be out of the market for too long, particularly the electrified one (I-PACE). Now we’re waiting for the confidence in JEA. Right now, people are telling me it’s going to be in the first half of 2025. That’s just under two years away. I’d be more confident in that response when we’re nine to 12 months away. So we’ve got time – we’ve got nine to 12 months – to work through these decisions.”
Although the I-PACE’s journey is concluding, Mardell highlighted its valuable contributions. The I-PACE continues to be sold predominantly in the UK and mainland Europe to assist the company in meeting emissions targets. Furthermore, the vehicle has significantly influenced the development of other EVs within the company, indicating that future EVs are being shaped, to a degree, by the Jaguar I-PACE program.
