Passengers using a luxury chauffeur service to and from Heathrow Airport will be driven in JLR's all electric Jaguar I-Pace from this summer.
Initially, 50 of the vehicles will be available at the UK's busiest airport as part of a deal with WeKnowGroup, creating what is claimed to be one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the UK.
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The zero emissions chauffeur service has the option to add a further 150.
Jaguar said the new model is ideal for this type of use with a compact footprint yet spacious interior, "generous" seating for five and luggage, near-silent electric motor and passenger conveniences including six USB chargers and four-zone climate control.
JLR UK MD Jeremy Hicks said: "…We have created… a desirable, luxurious and state of the art electric vehicle that's practical for genuine everyday use, including the tough life of an airport luxury chauffeur car.
"Through our partnership with Waymo (the former Google self driving car project) and this latest deal with Heathrow and WeKnowGroup, we're excited to be bringing the electric future to more people than ever before."
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By GlobalDataThe I-Pace as a 90kWh lithium-ion battery with 432 pouch cells and a maximum range of 298 miles (on the WLTP cycle).
On average a chauffeur vehicle drives around 114 miles per day, allowing the EVs to easily complete a whole day's driving on a single charge – even with passengers, in winter and with motorway driving. With the ability to charge at 100kWh, the I-Pace can be recharged from 0% to 80% in 40 minutes.
The I-Pace is already compliant with London's planned January 2020 zero emissions-capable requirements for private hire vehicles.
With an electric motor and fewer moving parts than a traditional combustion-engined car, running costs are reduced "significantly", the automaker said. Service intervals are two years/ 21,000 miles for less down time and reduced costs for operators.
The EVs come with eight year/100,000 miles battery and three year/62,000 miles whole vehicle warranties.
