Setting the PACE

The Jaguar that races in the I-PACE eTrophy is perhaps as close to standard as a production-based racecar can get but, as we discovered, putting a grid of electric SUVs out on track still involves a great deal of engineering know-how

- GEMMA HATTON

There are many examples of manufacturers transforming road cars into racers, but one of the most impressive approaches to this must be that which Jaguar has taken for the world’s first all-electric international race series for production models; the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy. Now in its second season, this is the official support series to Formula E, where drivers battle it out across 10 rounds of racing with the winner of the Pro category claiming a prize worth £500,000.

What is most interesting about this racecar, though, is the fact that Jaguar has not only managed to combat the technical challenges of upgrading its first all-electric road car to suit racing, but it has achieved this whilst retaining the underlying design ethos of the original machine. In theory, if you were to take off some of the safety mods, as well as a few carbon fibre parts, you would be left with the same I-PACE SUV that you could buy in your local Jaguar dealer. It is this philosophy that underpins the entire development of the project, and what makes this such an interesting racecar.

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