NEW DELHI: Jaguar Land Rover India on Tuesday launched its fully electric SUV Jaguar I-PACE in India with a price starting at Rs 1.05 crore (ex-showroom), marking its presence in the country's luxury EV segment.
Bullish on the government support for electric vehicle (EV), the company said setting up of fast charging network could lead to the quick adoption of such pollution-free vehicle across the country.
"In terms of the policy to promote EVs, we feel that the Central Government and some state governments are on the right track.
Further, areas, where policy push may expedite the adoption of EV's, are setting up of fast-charging network across the country, including in residential societies and buildings, bringing down the initial acquisition cost of EVs," Jaguar Land Rover India President and Managing Director Rohit Suri told PTI.
He was responding to a query as to what steps can be taken by the government to encourage electric mobility in the country.
Suri noted that the Indian market is warming up to the prospects of electric vehicles.
"Amongst our customers, there is a growing concern around pollution in cities and overall environmental sustainability, which is triggering the demand for EVs.
Government policy push is acting as a catalyst to drive this demand even further," he said.
The 21st-century luxury customer is also keen to adopt the latest in technology and EVs are absolutely at the top of the pyramid in this aspect, Suri added.
"In India, we anticipate that the usage will largely be for daily commute within the city and that's how the most definite benefit of electric vehicles will be realised in terms of pollution control within city limits.
We expect the Jaguar I-PACE to be used more in this manner and have provided charging solutions for customers to facilitate this," he said.
With I-PACE, the company wants to focus on providing customers with a seamless and worry-free EV ownership experience, he added.
Jaguar I-PACE is powered by a 90 kWh battery that delivers 294 kW power and 696 Nm torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
Suri noted that the I-PACE launch marks the beginning of the company's electrification journey in the country.
"Globally, Jaguar Land Rover had recently announced elaborate plans that would lead us into the world of electric vehicles.
Jaguar will be an all-electric luxury brand by 2025 and Land Rover will welcome six pure electric variants in the next 5 years.
"First all-electric Land Rover will be introduced in 2024. More details and plans on this will be shared in due course," he said when asked if the company planned to bring in more electrified products in the country.
The company said it has ensured that every step of the customer journey delivers peace of mind and makes owning an electric car as easy as possible.
JLR's 22 retail outlets across 19 cities have been upgraded with the installation of over 35 EV chargers, it added.
The chargers are a combination of 7.4 kW AC and 25 kW DC (fast) chargers.
JLR noted that retailer staff has been extensively trained with in-depth and dedicated courses on EVs, thus enabling them to cater to all requirements and queries of customers.
The buyers could also charge the model at home either by using a charging cable that is provided as standard with the vehicle or use a 7.4 kW AC wall-mounted charger that is also provided as standard, the company said.
The installation of the charger at the customer's house will be done by Tata Power Ltd, and will be coordinated via Jaguar retailers, it added.
Customers may also access Tata Power's charging network of around 200 I-PACE compatible charging points on use and pay basis, it said.
JLR said that to ensure complete peace of mind, I-PACE is provided with a complimentary five years service package, five years roadside assistance package and eight years or 1.6 lakh km battery warranty.
The I-PACE comes equipped with Software over the Air (SOTA) functionality, which ensures that systems such as infotainment, battery management and charging can be updated remotely.