Wednesday 13th September 2017

Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy - Frankfurt 2017

How to create excitement around an electric Jaguar SUV? Race it!

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Well this is a bit different. As part of Jaguar's ongoing commitment to vehicle electrification - and you better get used to that phrase, if you're not already - it has today announced an electric racing series. Not just any old racing series, either, but one using the I-Pace. Yeah, the crossover.

Gentlemen, start your engin... oh no, wait.

The I-Pace eTrophy will be the official support race of Formula E from the start of season five, which begins at the end of 2018. It will therefore race in 10 city centres across the globe and support the launch of the road car, which is due at about the same time.

The ambitious plan is for a grid of 20 cars, with the seats allocated on the old arrive and drive basis. Pay for your seat and Jaguar will look after the car, provide the hospitality and even give you a race suit - all you do is turn up and romp to victory, then party into the daylight in one of the world's greatest cities (the end of that may have been exaggerated).

"Oh yeah, A. Driver? Heard of him. He's good."

As the world's first international race series with production EVs - although Tesla may have something to say about that - detail on both the eTrophy race car and series are vague at the moment. Gerd Mauser, Jaguar Racing's Chairman, said: "With the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy we have strengthened our commitment to battery electric vehicles... Ultimately this innovative series will enhance the technology in our future electric vehicles and benefit our customers."

Jaguar says technical specs will follow next year, along with prices, and the race calendar is still subject to FIA approval. But a one-make production electric series is going to happen, with crossovers. Those slabby sides should make for good door-to-door racing too. And one-make racing is always fiercely competitive. Consider us intrigued, and get ready for more details soon!

[PhantomPH]

Really wish I could afford a seat in a series like this. (Not that I know what it costs of course, but I cannot imagine it's open to someone with less than a million in the bank!)