TIME TO POWER UP: Daimler and Jaguar’s latest offerings in electric vehicles
From what started as an environmental need, but without a solid plan, has over the last 20 years developed into a place now where big manufacturers are making bold moves.
The electric vehicle market could soon reach that tipping point, but remains to be seen if it will eventually becomes affordable for the man on the street.
Meanwhile, there are two bits of news. First, Daimler Truck AG is launching its all-electric eActros and eCanter range in South Africa.
Second, Jaguar after 90 years of top-notch internal combustion engines, is transforming to an all-electric luxury brand from as early as 2025.
To commemorate this momentous occasion, the kwaai F-Pace SUV (remember that barrel roll in the advert) is getting a hyped makeover, considering it is one of the most popular Jaguars ever.
The F-Pace 90th anniversary edition gets trendy subtle badging and R-dynamic exterior cues, as well as supportive seats with contrast stitching and aluminium interior trimming.
Basically a super-lux vibe throughout. It comes with options offered in previous editions such as the gloss black wheels and red calipers.
Choice of engines includes a plug-in hybrid and a mild hybrid. Rawdon Glover, the Managing Director of Jaguar, says: “The F-Pace has given new clients to the brand a choice of models from the efficient plug-in electric hybrid to the high-performance F-Pace SVR.
“With its inherent quality and design leadership, it has delighted our clients globally. As we prepare for an all-electric future, the 90th anniversary edition is a fitting tribute to nine decades of pioneering design, performance and innovation.”
The pinnacle SVR 575 edition is a veritable celebration of internal combustion with its supercharged V8 providing epic seat-sticking performance and the variable valve active exhaust bringing the audio thrills to match.
Power is up by 18kW, making it the most powerful F-Pace ever produced, capable of 0-100km/h acceleration in a face-contorting 3.8 seconds.
The interior extends on Jaguar’s name for luxury with Windsor leather performance seats that are both heated and cooled and, wait for it, have no less than 14 different ways to adjust the seat comfort, all at the touch of a button.
Back to trucking, Daimler announced the two electric models, with an eye to carbon neutral capacity transportation by the year 2050. The eCanter draws power from six HV battery packs with a capacity of 83kWh and a range of 100km.
Quick charge takes an hour and a half. With a body and payload capacity of 4.2 tons and power output of 135kW, the truck will be ideal for those short-range big loads in and around the city.
Big brother, the eActros has three lithium-iron battery packs with a combined capacity of 336kWh and offering a travel range of up to 330km. Batteries charge from 20-80% in one and a quarter hours, and the eActros can pull a payload of up to 15.4 tons.
It’s undeniable where the power is coming from as the future gets nearer. Though looking at the market, we look forward to the day when the electric vehicle becomes available to the masses, if we are really to make a dent in the currently dangerous levels of carbon emissions around the planet.