Jaguar I-Pace Gets A Range-Boosting Software Upgrade Thanks To Racing Series

Owners should get a 12 mile bump to their "real-world" range

2019 Jaguar I-Pace
[Photos: Jaguar]

Imagine the freedom of 12 extra miles.

As updates go, this small tweak to the Jaguar I-Pace isn’t earth-shattering. However, in an age of electric cars where range anxiety is still a very real thing, every mile you can eke out of a single charge is an improvement. To that end, the company announced today that it developed a software upgrade meant to boost the I-Pace’s range — from racing, of all places.

2018 Jaguar I-Pace First Drive Review

More specifically, Jaguar took the technical data gained from running their eTrophy race series to optimize the drivetrain and make it more efficient. Engineers focused on updates to the all-wheel drive system, thermal management and aerodynamics, and the battery pack itself. The update allows the battery to run in a lower state of charge, consuming less energy without affecting performance, according to Jaguar. The system also makes smarter use of the energy it harvests through the regenerative braking system and its range calculation algorithm has been changed, so that the estimated range of more accurate based on your driving style.

2019 Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar says the update doesn’t affect the official EPA range figure of 234 miles. However, the complimentary software update should yield about 12 additional miles of real world range. That will change depending on driving style and conditions, but the real-world figure should then be closer to about 250 miles. As before, the Jaguar I-Pace still uses a 90 kWh battery pack. On 100 kW DC fast charging, owners can charge their cars up from 0-80 percent in about 40 minutes.

Owners can take their I-Pace to their local dealer to have the update done, which will also include enhanced over-the-air functionality for future updates. “After receiving the latest software, more electronic modules will be able to receive remote updates, providing ongoing enhancements to the customer experience,” the company said in a release.

See more on how the I-Pace performs in real-world conditions in our full review: