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JLR confirms next Jaguar XJ will be all-electric

Jaguar-Land Rover confirmed today what has long been rumored: the next-generation Jaguar XJ will be all-electric. On stage to introduce the new Land Rover Defender, company CEO Ralf Speth made the announcement as a teaser image of the new electric XJ's full-width taillight bar appeared on screens behind him.  As quoted by AutoExpress, Speth said, "Based on our rich knowledge and experience gained from the I-Pace, Formula-E and I-Pace eTROPHY, our engineering team is in full swing to deliver the world's first, full-electric luxury sports saloon. The flagship of Jaguar: the all-new XJ." He continued, "The new, all-electric XJ - extraordinarily remastered for the 21st century - will offer spiritual freedom for our customers ... Gliding in elegance, new tranquility and new functionality, and in full consciousness taking care of the environment." Well, let's unpack that a bit, shall we? First, "the world's first, full-electric luxury sports saloon?" Even if you split hairs and deem the Tesla Model S a hatchback, there's a little thing called the Tesla Model 3. That's definitely a saloon, or as we in North America call it, a sedan. Unless he meant the North American definition of a saloon, in which case the Tesla is most definitely not that.  Also, the new XJ will help customers achieve spiritual freedom? Whatever. Jaguar's longest-running nameplate going all-electric isn't surprising, but it can only be good news for the British luxury brand, which could use a win. The current XJ made waves with its controversial styling, but that was nearly a decade ago. Thereafter, it never gained enough attention in America from wealthy buyers who'd otherwise buy a BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class or even Porsche Panamera. Basically, what the Tesla Model S was able to achieve with distinctive styling, and of course, an all-electric powertrain. Plus, unlike the recently introduced Porsche Taycan, an all-electric Jaguar XJ should offer space more on par with Tesla's big sedan/saloon/hatchback.  AutoExpress also indicates in its story that the new XJ will still be built in England, as will its batteries. There will apparently be a new battery-producing facility opening in 2020 with the goal of producing enough batteries for as many as 150,000 Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles per year. 

Top Gear caught filming Best of British near Buckingham Palace

YouTuber and car-fan extraordinaire Shmee probably had very little trouble tracking down the Top Gear film crew recently, as the group was putting together an episode that could accurately be described as "excessive." With its flag-waving (literally) Best of British theme, the TG guys gathered a jaw-dropping array of British cars, and parked them all right in front of Buckingham Palace to make extra sure that the point was driven home.
Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were outfitted with a trio of Jaguar F-Types festooned with gigantic Union Jacks, with which to survey the landscape of British motoring glory. In the video below, you'll see that this includes any number of Mini, Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls-Royce models (just to name a few), as well as a healthy dose of weird stuff that most people would never guess at being built in the UK. The lawnmowers and military vehicles are especially cool.

Jaguar's Callum: 'Huge' opportunities with electric vehicles

Eventually, some brave innovator, with an imagination light years ahead of the rest of us mere mortals, will envision an automotive future that the rest of us can't conceive. This person will step up and tell us how electric vehicles have the potential to change our lives for the better. They'll have the guts to tell us that if we could only open our eyes, we'd see that there's a way to get from one place to another that doesn't pollute the air we breathe. They'll explain that it won't just be globally responsible, it'll be magnificent. Yes, the electric car needs a champion, a figurehead, someone so inspirational that comic book superheroes are modeled after him. Finally, that champion has revealed himself. Saying out loud what the enlightened few of us know but dare not utter for fear of ridicule, our hero has spoken. "Electrification will kickstart the biggest change in automotive design in history," Ian Callum, design director at Jaguar told Autocar. That Jaguar sees the potential for electric vehicles is welcome progress. Sarcasm aside, that Jaguar sees the potential for electric vehicles is welcome progress. Even more appealing is that Callum approaches the potential of EVs from a design angle, where the slate is essentially blank, he feels, and so much is possible. "The opportunities an electric powertrain offers are huge," Callum says, "especially in terms of the space for occupants. By removing so much of the mechanical hardware and placing the batteries in the floor plan you open up all sorts of possibilities with packaging." To peer into Callum's mind when it comes to EV design would be extraordinary to behold. In many ways, his vision truly is something most of us cannot grasp completely, having spent a long career designing some of the most desirable cars of our time for some of the most prestigious automotive brands on the planet. So when he talks about the freedom EVs present from a design standpoint, it's not difficult to get excited. A Jaguar EV isn't as far-fetched as it might seem at first. Plus, a Jaguar EV isn't as far-fetched as it might seem at first, as Callum explains. "I'm clear in my mind that an electric Jaguar would be suitable for the brand," he says. "You have to move with the times and design for the opportunities. Look at the C-X75 concept – that was a car that was designed for an alternative powertrain, and nobody had any complaints about how that looked.