Jaguar I-Pace reaps improvements thanks to motorsport

Jaguar has gifted buyers an early Christmas present in the form of a free software update for the I-Pace. It relies on data directly harvested from JLR’s I-Pace eTrophy series, set up as a support series for the FIA Formula E championship.

eTrophy drivers compete in a race-spec Jaguar I-Pace developed by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations team on selected Formula E weekends. Jaguar says that the data gleaned from the race series has allowed it to make dramatic improvements to the abilities of the road-going variant.

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Chief among the racing technology improvements included in the software update is a claimed 20km increase in real world driving range to 470km on the WLTP cycle. Jaguar says this is a result of more efficient torque distribution in the AWD system and better efficiency in Eco mode.

Jaguar says that the I-Pace eTrophy Series has also pushed development that allows the cars to run at much lower battery levels than previously possible without affecting driveability, durability or performance. In addition to this, Jaguar’s race engineers have learned how to better manage battery heat, allowing cooling vents to close more often, reducing overall drag.

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The software update also includes the benefits of research into more than 50 million kilometres’ worth of real-world driving data that enables the I-Pace to take drivers’ driving styles into account in determining range.

Improvements to the effectiveness of the regenerative braking system in recovering energy at both low speeds and high battery levels are also helping to extend range.

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I-Pace owners can book their car into a Jaguar service centre or dealer to receive the software update.

And the cherry on top is that the update will set cars up to receive future software tweaks in the comfort of their own driveways by wi-fi, similar to Teslas.

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The Jaguar I-Pace is proof that the mantra of ‘road car technology tested on the racetrack’, rings as true for electric cars as their internal-combustion cousins.