Finally, an electric car for people that don’t do electric cars.
A compact SUV with lots of interior space, the Jaguar I-Pace is sure to loosen Tesla’s grip on the battery-powered car market.
And the best part?
You could save £hundreds each month with a contract hire agreement and become one of the first people to drive this beauty in the UK.
The Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar’s ambition was to create the world’s finest electric car. There’s a lot to be said for it.
The i-Pace is already a front-runner in the fast-accelerating electric vehicle (EV) industry.
It’s totally new car. Jaguar hasn’t simply rebadged another compact SUV, they’ve taken the time to design it from the ground up with dynamic curves, a long-range battery and an exhilarating drive.
Instead of looking at EV as a challenge, the I-Pace designers have used it as an opportunity. No need for a traditional engine gave designers more freedom, so they pushed the passenger cab forwards, creating extra room for large families (something which EVs have been lacking).
It’s got brains too. An intelligent computer system calculates distances based on your driving style. The car also comes with software updates and a 4G hotspot to keep you connected on the move.
Dozens of battery cells line the floor of the car, providing enough juice to run 300 miles on a single charge.
That’s enough power to drive from Warrington to Leeds, on to Sheffield and back to Warrington without needing to recharge. Unless you are regularly completing mammoth journeys, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.
And it won’t be a namby-pamby electric go-kart drive either. From a standing start, the I-Pace hits 62mph in four seconds, with the same fizz and excitement that you get from a high-performance petrol car.
Saving with electric cars
The great EV race is well and truly on. With their pricy roadsters, Tesla is leading the charge. But high-specification competitors are beginning to catch up.
Audi’s E-Tron Quattro electric SUV is expected to launch in 2019, while BMW and Nissan are each expected to launch an electric SUV in 2020.
There has been a rapid increase in the number of electric car sales and manufacturers are trying to service the market in new and exciting ways.
A large part of the growth in electric vehicles has been the cost considerations.
Research reported in the Guardian found that the total costs of purely electric cars, including initial cost, depreciation, fuel, insurance, taxation and maintenance were cheaper than all other categories in the UK.
Some of the savings are straightforward. You don’t have to pay for fuel or oil, and electricity prices are much cheaper than fuel – around £3 or £4 per 100 miles.
Insurance tends to be slightly more expensive for EVs, but maintenance costs are around £100 cheaper.
You can also avoid a litany of taxes and charges including road tax and various congestion charges, from which EVs are exempt.
With contract hire costs reducing in recent years as well, the scope for motorists to save has increased.
Be one of the first to get your hands on a Jaguar I-Pace
Whittle Hall Finance is offering customers the opportunity to be one of the first in the UK to drive a Jaguar I-Pace.
You can order an I-Pace this month and take delivery in June, with one of the first on the road. Contract hire over 48 months is £724 +vat (with nine payments as deposit and 5k annual mileage).
By comparison, the Tesla S and Tesla X cost £1050 on comparable contract hire agreements.
Taking a contract hire agreement makes sense. In the fast-moving EV arms race a big break through is always just around the corner.
If a manufacturer makes a big breakthrough in battery technology that brings down the cost of newer models then the value of older vehicles will usually plummet.
Contract hire gives you cost-effective access to the newest and most exciting vehicles while avoiding the risk of your investment value plummeting.