Jaguar says performance I-PACE could be quicker than Tesla’s new Roadster but is concerned with power

Jaguar is reportedly working on a ‘SVR’ performance version of its new all-electric I-PACE SUV.

An executive for the British automaker now says that the electric SUV could be even quicker than Tesla’s next-gen Roadster, but they are not likely to deliver that because of concerns with making that kind of power available.

When Jaguar launched the I-PACE, it didn’t announce any performance or off-road versions, which the automaker generally calls SVR and SVX, but they have been rumored to be in the work.

In an interview with Autocar, Hanno Kirner, Executive Director of Corporate and Strategy at Jaguar Land Rover, wouldn’t confirm that the vehicle is coming:

“We have asked ourselves how you would ‘SVR’ an electric car. Yes, we can make it do 0-60mph in 1.8sec. It’s a good headline, but once you’ve done it once or twice, and lost your eyes in the back of their sockets, you might not want to do it again.”

0 to 60 mph in 1.8 seconds would be just quick enough to beat the record that Tesla aims to set with its next-generation Roadster.

Kirner expressed concerns with increasing the power and acceleration:

“You also have to make sure you can’t go too fast. I do worry that the instant torque and performance might be too much for untrained drivers. It may be that we have to impose some kind of restriction, so that the performance is limited until they have gone on a driving course or something.”

Instead, he said they could focus on handling performance by leveraging “I-Pace’s 50/50 weight distribution and dynamic set-up.”

Jaguar unveiled the I-PACE earlier this year with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The vehicle is expected to enter production later this year.

Electrek’s Take

I am going to have to disagree with Kirner here because I don’t think most people won’t want to stop using the crazy acceleration after two launches.

With this said, I do agree with the concerns of putting those deceptively quick vehicles in the hands of inexperienced drivers. I think it partly contributes to some of the Tesla crashes that we often see.

But it still makes sense for Jaguar to deliver a SVR version of the I-PACE – especially since they are using the vehicle for the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race championship.

While I think the I-PACE has a lot of potential as a performance vehicle, I have my doubts that they could deliver a 1.8-sec 0-60 mph acceleration without some major changes to the powertrain.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.