As part of its Reimagine plan, Jaguar is finally moving towards developing its own electric platform. Codename: Panthera.
Until now, Jaguar has been undecided on whether to develop its own platform or rely on a third-party electric vehicle platform. Finally, Thierry Bolloré, Jaguar Land Rover’s chief executive, told investors that Jaguar has decided to develop its own electric platform as part of its plan to become an all-electric brand by 2025.
Indeed, within the framework of the Reimagine plan, the manufacturer, under the impetus of its director and the design teams, decided to reorient its approach. In order to stand out on the market and offer a more luxurious positioning, vehicles must “be independently designed, which is probably not possible with third-party platforms. When it comes to the new Jaguar, we make its unique design a priority. So we work independently”, said Thierry Bolloré.
According to the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, the brand’s new models must be “totally modern luxury cars, which are not the copy of anything in terms of style or design, the top of technology and refinement, and this, without looking back”. At Jaguar, he adds, we want to create “different cars, in rupture”.
The announcement of this new Panthera platform raises the question of whether the future 100% electric XJ, which we were already expecting last year, will finally be launched. This was supposed to be based on the MLA-Low platform (common to Range Rover), but its launch has been postponed several times, and there is little chance that Jaguar will be able to financially support the launch of any platform other than the Panthera. Especially since the MLA is a mixed platform, which can accommodate internal combustion engines and PHEVs, while Jaguar aims to become full electric in 2025.
The I-Pace, currently Jaguar’s only electric model, is expected to survive the brand’s all-electric shift, but it will be considered separately from the new family of electric cars. In the meantime, the new vintage of the I-Pace 400 will arrive mid-year and will feature Amazon Alexa integration as a voice assistant via an OTA update.