Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Jaguar Land Rover gives second life to I-PACE batteries

By H&H Admin

Jaguar Land Rover has partnered with Pramac, to develop a portable zero-emission energy storage unit to give new life to Jaguar I-PACE batteries.

Jaguar Land Rover has partnered with Pramac, a global leader in the energy sector, to develop a portable zero-emission energy storage unit powered by second-life Jaguar I-PACE batteries.

Called the Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System (ESS), Pramac’s technology – which features lithium-ion cells from Jaguar I-PACE batteries taken from prototype and engineering test vehicles, supplies zero-emission power where access to the mains supply is limited or unavailable. 

The partnership is the first in Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to create new circular economy business models for its vehicle batteries. As part of its commitment to net zero status by 2039, the company will be launching programmes that deliver second life and beyond uses for its electric vehicle batteries. 

Post-vehicle applications exist because Jaguar Land Rover’s batteries are engineered to the highest standards and can therefore be safely deployed in multiple low-energy situations once battery health falls below the stringent requirements of an electric vehicle.

Second-life battery supply for stationary applications, like renewable energy storage, could exceed 200 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030, creating a global value over $30 billion*.

The flagship system has a capacity of up to 125kWh – more than enough to fully charge Jaguar’s multi-award-winning all-electric I-PACE performance SUV, or to power a regular family home for a week**. Pramac directly reuses up to 85% of the vehicle battery supplied by Jaguar Land Rover within the storage unit, including modules and wiring. The remaining materials are recycled back into the supply chain.

Charged from solar panels, the unit is a self-contained solution that consists of a battery system linked to a bi-directional converter and the associated control management systems. Available for commercial hire, the units are fitted with Type 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charge connections with dynamic control and rated at up to 22kW AC to allow electric vehicle charging. 

An Off Grid Battery ESS will also be deployed at Jaguar Land Rover Experience Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa – the world’s biggest – to help the site cope with inconsistent power delivery from the mains

Five Must-Know Electric Vehicle Terms You Need To Know

With the advent of electric vehicles in the mainstream, and the inevitable rise of EV population on South African roads comes some confusing terminology even the most avid petrolhead might grapple with. 

Vehicle terminology is confusing but lingo used in reference to green mobility is even more so. With the help of Jaguar South Africa, we decipher the seemingly confusing alphabet soup used to describe elements within the world of green mobility and offer some demystification with layman’s explanations of five must-know terms in the EV sphere.

kWh

Forget about what these three letters stand for. Just know that a kWh is a unit of energy and in EVs it’s used to measure the storage capacity of batteries. Think of it as the size of your “fuel tank” in your electric vehicle.

Where an F-PACE SVR uses an 82 litre fuel tank to supply petrol to its V8 Supercharged engine, an all-electric I-PACE gets its energy from a 90kWh battery pack positioned in the floor of the car.

The bigger the number, the more energy an EV can store, and this is an important thing to consider when researching EVs. A smaller battery back will be quicker to charge, but will offer less range, and vice-versa for a larger pack. For reference you could expect an electric motorcycle to have a battery with around 10kWh of capacity, and a long-haul truck (which doesn’t really exist yet) to need a battery size of many hundreds of kWh.

The three letters stand for kilowatt hours, by the way. 

kWh/100km

No, not an algebra equation from an exam you battled in school. kWh/100km is an intimidating string of letters and numbers which is actually just a way of measuring average efficiency just like we do regular petrol and diesel cars.

You’re probably familiar with the term litres per 100km, or l/100km for short, as it’s become a ubiquitous specification offered alongside common specs like power outputs and prices on window stickers of all cars sold today. 

Break down that scary equation and it’s as simple as kilowatt hours used per 100km of distance driven. It’s an ever-changing formula you’ll see displayed in your electric vehicle’s dashboard, and depending on how you drive the number preceding it will decrease when taking it easy and increase with spirited driving.

If we use a Jaguar I-PACE as an example, drivers can expect energy consumption figures ranging from around 16.8kWh per 100km to 32.2kWh/100km. The lower the number, the more efficiently you’re driving. Just like with litres per 100km for petrol and diesel cars.

AC/DC

We’re not talking about the famous rock band here. AC stands for Alternating Current and DC is Direct Current, but don’t get too caught up in the complexities of what that means. As we all get more familiar with electric vehicles, and in turn keeping them charged, these abbreviations will become commonly understood as slow and fast. 

AC chargers are the ‘wall box’ type you’ll have in your garage, and while they’re a bit slower to top up batteries, they’re generally smaller, cheaper and more convenient than their heavy-duty DC counterparts. 

We’re generalising a bit here, but DC chargers are often referred to as ‘rapid chargers’ and resemble traditional forecourt petrol pumps in appearance. You’ll most often find DC chargers in public places such as shopping malls and highway rest stops, where installation costs are more viable and electricity supplies are stronger than what average households can offer. 

The Jaguar Powerway, for instance, features a network of DC rapid chargers along frequently travelled inter-city routes in South Africa such as the N1, N2 and N3 highways.

Charge rates

This one is important, so listen up. Now that we understand AC and DC (hopefully), we’ll need to dig a little deeper into the world of charging rates or charging speeds in other words.

Most common household appliances that run on electricity are either on or off. You flip a switch and your kettle boils, using a steady supply of power as it goes. Recharging EV batteries is a little more complex, as they can accept varying rates of electricity flow – this should help explain why it’s difficult to answer the question “how long does it take to charge?”

Again, we’re generalising a little, but the three-prong wall socket your kettle’s plugged into delivers around 2.3kW of energy, and though an EV like the I-PACE can recharge at this rate it would take quite some time to fill from empty. On the flip side, an I-PACE can accept a maximum charge rate of 100kW, which will equate to much quicker recharging times but requires those big, expensive DC chargers mentioned previously.

Confused yet? Don’t be. In the future you’ll become very familiar with charge rates and how they differ from charging station to charging station, especially in public spaces. Most public chargers along the Jaguar Powerway can supply up to 60kW charge rates, where others from smaller independent providers might offer less.

Also, beware the fantastical claimed charging times dished up by some electric car makers. While it’s possible for some cars to accept incredibly impressive charge rates, it’s difficult to reliably install chargers that can supply this much energy in the real word… for now.

Brake regen

Imagine if your petrol-powered car could coast down a long hill and actually produce fuel as it goes. Well, electric cars can do just that.

Without getting too technical, electric motors like those in EVs can act like generators when run in reverse. Brake regen, or regeneration to be specific, uses the inertia of a moving vehicle to produce electricity when coasting or slowing down, and sends it back to the battery to be used again when accelerating.

In an actual test performed by Jaguar South Africa, an I-PACE returned 91.7kWh of regenerated electricity after driving a distance of 1,000km. In other words, the car’s brake regen system served up a free “tank” of electricity when driven along a 1,000km route with plenty of stopping, starting, cruising and slowing down.

Most EVs, Jaguar I-PACE included, will allow drivers to choose the level of brake regeneration applied while driving. When set to ‘low’ the car will coast freely in a way similar to petrol and diesel cars as we know them, but when set to ‘high’ there’s a strong sense of deceleration when the throttle pedal is released. In most situations it’s actually possible to drive without ever using the brake pedal at all.

New on the Tarmac: Meet the updated Jaguar I-PACE

Since its debut the I-PACE has won more than 80 global awards, including 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year, World Green Car and AutoTrader 2020 South African Car of the Year.

An updated Jaguar I-PACE offering a new infotainment system, improved driver assistance technologies and quicker charging capabilities is now available in South Africa.

Highlights of the updated I-PACE include:

New Pivi Pro infotainment system, which features a 12.3-inch high-definition virtual instrument cluster, together with 10-inch and 5-inch upper and lower touchscreens. Inspired by smartphone technology, Pivi Pro is easy to use and features a powerful processor, to ensure navigation initialisation is almost instantaneous. The redesigned navigation system reduces the number of steps required to set a destination by half.  It also allows users to pan and zoom in and out of the map with a pinch of the fingers, just as one would with a smartphone. 

Wireless Device Charging Pad.  The I-PACE is now also available with an optional wireless device charging pad beneath the ‘floating’ centre console. Wireless charging also includes signal boosting, ensuring the phone’s signal remains stronger for longer. A Smartphone Pack with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all derivatives, as is a dual modem embedded SIM and Bluetooth technology which can pair two phones simultaneously.

Cabin Air Ionisation. Designed to remove allergens, cabin air ionisation features a filtration system which captures ultrafine particles to improve occupant health and wellbeing. One important benefit to the new filtration system is that, when charging, customers can use the I-PACE’s pre-conditioning system (which optimises battery temperature) to also purge the cabin of allergens and ultrafine particles before beginning a journey.

New 3D Surround Camera. Visibility had been significantly enhanced in the updated I-PACE thanks to a new 3D Surround Camera that provides a 360-degree digital plan view of the surrounding area and potential hazards. 

Meridian 3D Surround Sound System.  Customers can now benefit from the option of an enhanced Meridian 3D Surround Sound System with TrifieldTM technology. The system features two additional speakers in the cabin headliner, meaning the 16 speaker and one subwoofer arrangement delivers an exceptional experience for all occupants. 

ClearSight. The ClearSight rear view mirror further improves vision and convenience by ensuring the driver always has an unobstructed view of the road behind, even with three people in the rear seat. ClearSight uses a wide-angle, rear-facing camera linked to a high-resolution screen within the frameless glass mirror. 

Vehicle charging: The updated JaguarI-PACE now comes with an 11kW on-board charger as standard, enabling customers with access to three-phase electricity supplies to enjoy significantly faster charging. When connected to an 11kW wall box 53km* of range (WLTP) per hour can be achieved, while a full charge from empty now takes only 8.6 hours – ideal for overnight charging at home. 

South African customers with access to single-phase supply can continue using 7kW wall boxes which charge up to 35km per hour, with a full charge taking 12.75 hours.  When charging ‘on the go’, a 60kW charger will add up to 76km in 15 minutes, while a 100kW charger will add up to 127km over the same period. 

All new or Approved Pre-Owned Jaguar customers in South Africa also receive complimentary driver training at the state-of-the-art Experience Johannesburg facility in Lonehill, Johannesburg. 

With a range of up to 470km (WLTP) from its 90kWh battery, customers with an average daily commute would only need to charge their I-PACE once a week**. 

Prices:

I-PACE EV400 S:       R1,942,600

I-PACE EV400 SE:     R2,005,100

I-PACE EV400 HSE:  R2,112,300

*  Range added per one-hour/15-minute period is WLTP range

** Based on data captured by Jaguar’s Go I-PACE app in the UK. 

 

 

Jaguar I-PACE wins 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year

The Jaguar I-PACE EV400 AWD SE is the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year!

This is the first time that the competition has been won by a Jaguar and also the first win by an electric car.

The accolade is the latest in a long line of victories for the all-electric I-PACE. It won the 2019 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car awards (the I-PACE was the first model ever to win three World Car titles in the 15-year history of the awards). It also claimed the European Car of Year title last year.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic was placed second while the Toyota GR Supra 3.0T came third.

The win by a Jaguar and an electric car were two firsts for the contest, which is organised by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists. Given the lockdown, the winner of the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year was announced during a virtual awards ceremony that was streamed live – this was another first for the AutoTrader South African Car of the Year.
  • Performance Car: Toyota GR Supra 3.0T
  • Performance Car: Toyota GR Supra 3.0T
There are a number of category winners in the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year, and these winners were announced as well.

Watch the 2020 Auto Trader South African Car of the Year Announcement

The winner in the Urban Category was the Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion. This category covers compact budget-friendly passenger vehicles that are ideal for in-town driving. Buyers of these cars typically rate practicality over luxury and performance.

The next category – Family – is especially popular. It consists of mid-size sedans. Buyers of these vehicles expect quality, practicality and comfort –with an element of advanced handling dynamics thrown into the equation. The winner in this category was the Toyota Corolla Hatch 1.2T XR CVT.

  • URBAN CATEGORY WINNER: HYUNDAI ATOS 1.1 MOTION
  • URBAN CATEGORY WINNER: HYUNDAI ATOS 1.1 MOTION

The third category – Leisure – was won by the Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline 85kW DSG. This category covers sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs). Owners of these SUVs and MPVs enjoy the freedom of driving both on and off-road. This – combined a high seating position and flexible cargo space – makes this a popular category amongst the buying public.

  • Leisure: Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline 85kW DSG

The Lifestyle Utility Vehicles Category was won by the Ford Ranger Raptor. These vehicles typically offer supreme 4×4 ability and can be either an SUV or a single or double-cab bakkie.

The highly contested Premium Car Category was won by the overall winner, namely the Jaguar I-PACE EV400 AWD SE. Buyers of these prestigious mid to large vehicles want powerful engines, luxury features and high-end trim options.

The Premium SUV Category caters for vehicles that offer a combination of versatility, comfort, style and performance both on- and off the road. Boasting genuine 4×4 ability without low range, these vehicles are luxurious, spacious and refined. This category was won by the Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic.

The final category – sport/performance – was won by the Toyota GR Supra 3.0T. Whether it’s a sportier flagship of an existing passenger range or a pure stand-alone model, vehicles in this category have one common trait: superior performance. Accordingly, thoroughbred sports cars are included in this category.

The South African Car of the Year trophy, which has been awarded since 1986, is the country’s most highly respected and sought-after motoring accolade. While the competition has evolved over the years (categories were only introduced recently), one thing has remained true to the contest; it celebrates and rewards automotive excellence. Both the category and overall winners are considered to be benchmarks within their categories. The 2020 competition was no exception, with many of the winners having already achieved international acclaim.