Jaguar Land Rover presented its new electric vehicle, the Jaguar Type 01, in New York — a model with an exceptionally long hood, no rear window, and a wide range of technologies — as part of a strategy aimed at growth in the U.S. market, UNN reports.
Details
The British luxury carmaker, owned by Indian group Tata Motors, said that the Type 01 — a four-door GT electric vehicle in restrained, muted tones, with a starting price of $130,500 — marks “the beginning of a new generation of Jaguar cars and a new era of transformation.”
The high price is a risky move for the U.S. market, where interest in electric vehicles is lower than in Europe.
However, JLR plans to focus on American customers as the European auto industry (particularly the electric vehicle sector) faces pressure from competitively priced Chinese cars, tariffs, and disruptions caused by the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The Type 01’s design references the iconic Jaguar E-type sports cars of the 1960s, which are highly valued by collectors, and continues the direction launched by the presentation in 2024 of the radical bright-pink Jaguar Type 00 concept car as part of the brand’s revamp.
The Type 00 model and the brand’s relaunch process itself drew criticism from car enthusiasts and some politicians.
JLR is also trying to recover from the consequences of a cyberattack that led to a production shutdown and supply-chain problems last year. As part of its recovery plan, the company announced last month that it intends to reduce its workforce by nearly 10% through voluntary departures over the next two years.
As part of this reorganization, the company has committed to converting its entire model range to electric power, despite some industry executives expressing doubts about affluent buyers’ readiness to switch to electric vehicles.
In addition
Earlier this year, Ferrari’s first attempt to create an electric vehicle came in for scathing criticism because it bears little resemblance to the Italian luxury carmaker’s gasoline-powered models. Last month, Bentley unveiled its first electric vehicle, whose price will be the lowest in its model range.
Lamborghini has ruled out producing an electric vehicle before the end of the decade, while McLaren said last month that it does not plan to switch to electric power because customers are showing no interest in abandoning models with gasoline engines.