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Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover sales are taking off

Earlier this month, it was reported that Jaguar Land Rover is due for a turnaround plan to cut costs and improve cash flow. The owner of JLR, Tata Motors, is scheduling a 18-month plan called "Project Change," worth $3.2 billion. But it seems a step in the right direction has already been taken with the introduction of Jaguar's electric I-Pace: InsideEVs is reporting that Jaguar sold 1,200 I-Pace models in October, which represents strong growth for the brand and the new model. 8.7 percent of Jaguar's total October sales consisted of the I-Pace, meaning that the total October sales volume of 13,764 units was largely boosted by the new electric crossover. Total sales were up 11.6 percent, and it was overall the best October ever for JLR. Some 2,500 I-Pace crossovers have been sold so far. The October sales figure is a noticeable rise from September's 710 cars, which itself is a strong pickup from just 140 cars sold in August. These are signs of both production and sales perking up, and it wouldn't be surprising to see monthly I-Pace sales hit 2,000 units sometime soon. It helps that the I-Pace is priced competitively with Tesla Models S and X, starting at $70,495 including destination charge, with Jaguar-like performance and looks. Last month, we reported of Jaguar possibly going electric-only in the next decade, with a portfolio consisting of an electric XJ, a full-sized EV crossover and an electric sports car in addition to the I-Pace. Brexit uncertainty and China-market woes mean Jaguar is on unstable ground, but as its owner is about to run an even tighter ship, and it first full-electric model is visibly picking up the pace, the coming decade could turn out to be a positive for Jaguar. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: InsideEVs Green Jaguar Crossover Electric Luxury jaguar i-pace i-pace

Who picks car colors and materials? Designers like Hannah Custance

As automotive journalists, we're often asked "how did you get that job?" People usually didn't even know you could do such a thing. In this 7 Questions series, we're highlighting other jobs in the automotive industry that you might not have heard about before. What do they do, how'd they get to do it and other questions about their particular corner of the car world. Slowly but surely, the automotive landscape is becoming more colorful. Look beyond the unrelentingly conservative palette of white, black and gray most buyers opt for and you'll see the increased use of exterior trim types beyond the usual chrome. There's gloss black, of course, but also other metallic finishes like gold or copper. Those can be found inside, too, where there's also an increase in colorful leathers and trims, innovative fabrics, new wood types and finishes, and greater creativity in general. So where is this change coming from? The answer is designers like Hannah Custance, the color and materials design manager for Jaguar Land Rover. Her team's latest effort is also its magnum opus, the 2022 Range Rover. Although saddled with the expectations that comes with one of the automotive industry's classic nameplates, the all-new Range Rover is also a celebration of cutting edge manufacturing and fashion-forward materials selection. We sat down with Hannah at the L.A. Auto Show to find out more about color and materials designers, how she ended up in the industry, and advice she might have for young designers out there. It has been condensed for brevity. Autoblog: What does a color and materials design manager to do?Hannah Custance: I basically look after a team of designers who design finishes for every A surface on the car. So, that could be exterior finishes. It could be interior trim materials, soft materials, hard materials, chromes, metals, woods, ceramic – that's one of the new ones – anything you can kind of touch and see is color material design. Autoblog: How early in the design process does your team become involved.Hannah: Right at the very start. In fact, we look at materials that don't have a product assigned to them or a car assigned to them. So, it takes actually a very long time for us to get materials approved and fully validated. We have to find suppliers that are willing to work in automotive and our test standards are incredibly high, some of the highest in the industry.

Ford's J Mays feels vindicated by Fusion reception

It's hard to think back now, but the same man overseeing the design of the 2013 Ford Fusion also presided over a rather lackluster period in Ford design, highlighted by vehicles like the Five Hundred and Freestyle. With the redesigned Fusion receiving high praise, J Mays tells Automotive News that he feels vindicated from criticisms suggesting he's not a daring enough designer.
When Mays took over as lead of design in 1997, he admits to having quite an ego ("My head would barely fit through the door some days. I've long since gotten over myself") and the workload to match. With the Blue Oval's portfolio full of premium brands like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo at that point, along with the bread-and-butter Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, Mays certainly had quite the challenge.
It was in the mid-2000s that Mays took over just the premium brands, and took on the new title of Chief Creative Officer. At the time, Mays endured some criticism for looking backwards to retro styling, rather than setting a new standard for American car design - criticism that Mays says he is free from with the all-new Fusion.