As the British brand’s first all-electric vehicle, the I-Pace will reportedly retain Jaguar’s sports car DNA while offering a practical five-seater SUV package with a usable range of up to 500km on a single charge.
Presently, only a small portion of new vehicle sales are hybrid models, while electric vehicle (EV) sales represent a fraction of 1%. Model availability and development of infrastructure remain key.
Jaguar Land Rover South Africa also intends to cooperate with the Electric Vehicle Industry Association (EVIA), which represents local vehicle manufacturers focusing on electrification. Through this industry body, the company will engage with government on measures to aid the adoption of EVs, including advising on charging standards and opportunities to develop infrastructure.
Richard Gouverneur, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa, says: “Our rollout plan for I-Pace includes installing electric infrastructure at all our dealers and ensuring our retail network can support these products in every way.
"At the moment, there are no incentives for EVs, and we are in full support of the motor industry’s push for lower taxes on these vehicles. We will work with EVIA on this, as well as its efforts to have shared charging infrastructure in public areas.”
