After the inaugural season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship's official support series - the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy - came to a conclusion in New York City in July, the British carmaker wasted no time in transitioning its race learnings to the road.
For the first time since the road-going version of the car was launched in 2018, the marque has managed to squeeze an extra 20km of range by honing the performance of the all-electric SUV on Formula E's city street circuits.
“The Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy has generated a huge amount of data for us to analyse and those marginal gains, derived from competition on the track, are now being applied to customers’ cars to further enhance their driving experience," said Stephen Boulter, I-Pace Vehicle Engineering Manager.
"The new software updates optimise the powertrain control systems to improve efficiency and allow I-Pace drivers to travel even further on a single charge without any hardware changes – it really is a case of the vehicle getting better with age.”
Offered as a complimentary upgrade for all I-Pace owners, Jag's engineering boffins have applied the technical insights from the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy race series to optimise the management of battery, thermal and AWD systems to enhance the efficiency of the all-electric powertrain. With that, early adopters of Jaguar's first EV can expect an eight per cent improvement on the car's existing 470km range from its 90kWh battery.
Running alongside all the Formula E action on track, the series sees the I-Pace put through extreme conditions - from the heat of the desert to the narrow streets of cities like Rome and New York. With the first season yielding critical learnings, the engineers back at base were able to better the durability and thermal control of both the battery and torque management systems.
Added to the track activities, the carmaker has also analysed data from more than 50 million miles of real-world journeys from all corners of the world. With more EVs in the pipeline, Jaguar's commitment to Formula E and the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy support series is set to continue well into the future. Now in it's second season, keep an eye on the Formula E calendar for the chance to see the all-electric SUVs race around a city near you.