Jaguar reveal EV I-Pace
Jaguar has previewed its first full electric vehicle (EV), the I-Pace, claiming the sporty cab-forward design is a breakthrough. The midsize, five-seat SUV has a torque delivery of 700 Newton metres (516 pounds-feet) through its electric drivetrain and a four second 0 to 60mph acceleration. The liquid-cooled 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, designed and developed in-house, takes 90 minutes for an 80% charge and just over two hours for 100% charge. With a range of more than 500km (311 miles) under the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, its design chief called the car a "radical departure" for EVs.

Chris Woodyard

USA TODAY

HOLLYWOOD — The new Jaguar I-Pace concept has the potential of becoming a breakthrough vehicle, a luxury electric SUV that could cause quite a headache for Tesla Motors.

The concept could give way to a luxury vehicle that would be among the first long-range electrics from a mainstream maker to compete directly against Tesla.

"There's nothing in the market like it," says Anna Gallagher, global launch manager for the I-Pace.

To underscore the point, Jaguar chose to unveil I-Pace in a most unusual way, what certainly will be the most remarkable press unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. I-Pace made its debut in virtual reality — floating in space as viewers watched in 3-D on two continents simultaneously.

Instead of simply fitting the new Jaguar F-Pace SUV with lithium-ion batteries and calling it a day, the famed British brand called on Design Director Ian Callum to come up with something completely different.

He did. Freed of the limitations of a big gas engine up front, Callum went with a cab-forward design that, at least in the prototype, stretches the wheelbase with almost no overhang at either end. It's a stunning design, and Callum says he expects it to stay mostly intact as the I-Pace heads for production in 2018.

It will be both powerful and capable of long-distance cruising. Jaguar built electric motors into both axles, with 200 horsepower each for a total of 400. With the battery pack built into the floor, it is expected to have a range per charge of 220 miles.

I-Pace is smaller than Tesla's Model X crossover, but because of its cab-forward design that means less space is needed up front, it's roomy inside — at least in the concept. What would normally be the engine space up front is for a small trunk.

Callum says that the decision was made to build the car from scratch because electric vehicles appear to be here to stay.

"We decided this was going to happen. We saw Tesla. We saw this is inevitable," he says.

An unusual car apparently demanded an unusual debut. A group of journalists was invited to a soundstage in Hollywood where they put on headphones and virtual-reality viewers. Then, the car magically appeared line-by-line, with Callum acting as guide.

At one point, the car's interior magically appeared around the guests. They were in the cyber-driver's seat. At another point, the car floated on a virtual table in front of viewers.

If the future is electric, this was clearly the future.

More from the Los Angeles Auto Show:

Ford will import EcoSport tiny SUV from India

Nissan's strange Juke SUV gets a little stranger

New Jeep Renegade versions are for desert or dress up