Jaguar wants to “be bold and disruptive” with its new electric car and design, the luxury vehicle maker’s chief executive has told Sky News.
The British carmaker sparked widespread controversy last month when it revealed its new name ahead of becoming a fully electric brand.
Speaking to Sky News Business and Economics Correspondent Gurpreet NarwanManaging director Rawdon Glover said: “We’ve certainly attracted a huge amount of attention over the last few weeks, but now I think it’s really important to talk about the vehicle. »
The Type 00 electric car was unveiled Monday in Miami. Photo: Jaguar
The Type 00 was revealed at an event in Miami, Floridaand was described as a “concept with bold shapes and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars”.
It was revealed in two colors, Miami Pink and London Blue.
Jaguar said the new electric car uses a dedicated platform that should return up to 478 miles of range while fast charging will add 200 miles of charge in 15 minutes.
The production-ready version of the Type 00, which will be manufactured in the UK, is expected to be revealed in late 2025, and although prices have not yet been confirmed, it is expected to cost over £100,000.
Mr Glover added to Sky News: “We need to make sure Jaguar is relevant, desirable and sustainable for the next 90 years of its history.
“Right now, the industry is going through huge upheaval: technological changes, as we all truly understand what an electrified world means for our brand.
“At Jaguar we have studied the issue and believe we need to take a really bold step forward. But in reality, the step we are going to take is completely in line with the brand’s philosophy.
Rawdon Glover said “people will have opinions about the vehicle.” Photo: Jaguar
In November, Jaguar published an ad which featured a series of mannequins, dressed in brightly colored clothing, emerging from an elevator into a stark landscape. It also didn’t feature any of the Jaguar cars.
The carmaker described it as part of a “completely transformed Jaguar brand” and “a new era” that makes it “relevant to a contemporary audience.” However, the campaign sparked a backlash online, with Reform leader Nigel Farage saying: “I predict Jaguar will now go bust. And you know what? They deserve it,” while Tesla boss Elon Musk asked “do you sell cars?”
Asked about the rebrand, Mr Glover told Sky News: “We want to be bold and disruptive… We’re clearly in the conversation.”
“More people have been talking about Jaguar in the last two weeks than – hell, a lot longer. Car manufacturers are constantly unveiling new cars and going completely unnoticed.”
Asked if he expected any negative reactions to the advert, the Jaguar boss replied: “We definitely don’t want to alienate any of our loyal fans.
“On the contrary, we want to take as many of our current fans with us on this journey as possible… We also need to attract a new audience. This is what we must do.
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However, while admitting that “people will have opinions about the vehicle” and the rebranding, Mr Glover added: “We absolutely appreciate reasoned debate – if it becomes discriminatory then I can’t tolerate that.” »
“We really want the conversation now to go to: ‘This is our design vision, this is what the future of Jaguar will look like,’ and in fact, that should be the conversation,” he added.