Jaguar plans big charger network ahead of I-Pace EV release

Jaguar Land Rover is spending up to $4 million rolling out 150 changing stations ahead of the release of its first electric vehicle, the I-PACE, in Australia later this year.

Jaguar has appointed Australian charging network provider Jet Charge to install the network, including at its new HQ and showrooms.

The Jaguar iPace is capable of 100kW DC charging, which will take the EVs from 0-80 per cent charged in 40 minutes, and add 100km range in 15 minutes.

The I-PACE was launched officially at the recent Geneva Motor Show, and will be showing off its wares in the first official test drives for invited motor journalists in Portugal in early June.

The car, the first to confront Tesla head on in the luxury EV market, will be available in Australia from October, at a price of around $120,000, a battery of 90kWh and a range of 480km.

Jaguar intends to offer an electrified version of all its models from around 2020.

“It’s different for us,” Jaguar network manager Brett Lewis-Driver said at a session on Electric Vehicles at the Renewable Cities conference in Adelaide. “For a start there’s no engine. That’s a new thing.”

The network of charging stations will be installed at 45 dealerships across the country, including 13 at its new headquarters in Mascot, Sydney, that will open in September, and at its new show-rooms in Essendon, Melbourne

Customers will get 3 years free charging on the ChargeFox network.

Comments

12 responses to “Jaguar plans big charger network ahead of I-Pace EV release”

  1. George Darroch Avatar
    George Darroch

    Great work by JLR. I expect that we’ll see other vehicles (Both Jaguar and Land Rover, Range Rover badged) from their range in the next year or so.

  2. Alex Shoolman Avatar

    This is fantastic news and I’m very glad that Jag are pushing ahead, especially here in Australia where we’re so backwards with EV’s currently… but I see a major problem with this point:

    “The network of charging stations will be installed at 45 dealerships across the country”

    1. Is it 45 locations? or 150 stations? or is it 150 ports at 45 locations?
    2. While it’s handy to have chargers at dealerships, where am I going to charge my Jag while driving from Sydney to Melbourne? I can’t imagine there’s a Jag dealership sitting 500 km’s out from Sydney or anything…

    Charging stations, while good to have in metro areas, MUST be deployed mainly in between major cities. This is something Tesla nails with their Superchargers. When you’re in a city, it’s most likely you’re staying somewhere so you just charge overnight at home. When you’re travelling long distance though you need these quick, high powered DC fast chargers. Having them all in metro areas at Jag dealerships is near on useless.

    1. Ken Taylor Avatar
      Ken Taylor

      I kind of agree – inner city DC charging is still handy for those that do a lot of km each day, or for those that don’t have permanent access to home charging – although this should become less of an issue as new high-density developments also begin to include charging facilities

    2. Charles Avatar
      Charles

      While I don’t seem to be able to find a list of Jaguar dealers:
      1) I have asked and it appears Jag seems to have approx 40-50 dealers. So it seems to be all Jag dears.
      2) I’ve checked a few locations and there are Jag dealers in Hobart, Launceston, Shepparton, Albury, Morwell, Ballarat, Orange, Dubbo, Mt Gambier. So it’s a pretty good start.

    3. thecavedweller Avatar
      thecavedweller

      Absolutely right!

    4. Mike Shackleton Avatar
      Mike Shackleton

      There are already EV charging stations on the east coast highways between Melbourne Sydney and Brisbane. No doubt more will be required at each location as electric cars become more ubiquitous but it’s better to push them out through dealerships so you don’t have to drive across town to charge up. My understanding is that the Jags use a Euro standard so if every Euro dealership puts in a charging station you’ll have plenty of options to charge up at, even if you have to pay for the charge.

  3. Brunel Avatar
    Brunel

    How is charging paid for after 3 years?

    Do you touch the pole with a credit card?

  4. Punter Avatar
    Punter

    Mmm, a bit thin on detail at this stage. Given Australia is such a large land mass, I fear 150 charging points(mainly in dealerships) will do little to expand range. At $120k+taxes a pop, would not expect this to be a game changer. But hey, it’s a start! The key surely to the success of EV’s on the charging front, is that there has to be a hell of lot more than petrol stations, as the EV will be hooked up for 15mins to 2 hours to gain decent charge, whereas at a petrol station, the pump is tied up for 5 minutes or so…..I am sure the tech will come eventually to have really fast chargers?

    1. Ken Taylor Avatar
      Ken Taylor

      Not really – most EV charging happens at home, so fast charging is only really required for longer journeys, or people who do more than the car’s range in a day.

      1. rob Avatar
        rob

        What about the Homeless $120k plus tax Jag owners?

  5. Nick Kemp Avatar
    Nick Kemp

    Until the I-Pace I always thought of Jags as nice to look at but I wouldn’t want to own one. Now I find myself badly wanting one despite my lack of funds. In fact EVs have made me more interested in cars than I have been for years. I’m also quite keen about the new Kombi van despite the fact I don’t surf any more

    1. Pedro Avatar
      Pedro

      I would put the electric Kombi on my wish straight away, even more so if it had the retro curvy body with the split wind shield.

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