After the Tesla Model X, the Jaguar I-Pace was the next fully electric SUV to come onto the market. However, the I-Pace is more of a compact SUV. The Jaguar I-Pace also targets the same premium end of the market like the Tesla and other competition from the Audi E-Tron and Mercedes EQC. But what about towing? Well, the I-Pace does have a towing capacity, unfortunately, its pretty limited at just 750kg. Therefore, the towing capacity of the I-Pace is limited to small cargo trailers and lightweight caravans/campers.
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Key Jaguar I-Pace Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 750 kg
- Availability – Now
- Price – Starting £65,195
- Range (EV Database) – 235 miles
- Estimated Towing Range (50%) – 117 miles
- Maximum DC Charge Rate – 104 kW
- Rapid Charge 10% to 80% – 44 min
- Check Used Jaguar I-Pace Specs
Jaguar I-Pace HP & Torque
- EV400 – AWD with 394 HP and 513 lb-ft of torque
Jaguar I-Pace Towing Capabilities
As I stated above, after Tesla it was Jaguar who was next to the fully electric SUV party with the first customer deliveries back in the summer of 2018. When Tesla announced that the Tesla Model X would come with a pretty capable 2,250 kg towing capacity, the question then became of any subsequent electric SUV, what can it tow?
Now originally when Jaguar was first promoting the I-Pace in 2017 the CEO Ian Callum actually stated the I-Pace wouldn’t have a towing capacity due to the impact on the car’s range as reported by insideevs.com
However, during the launch of the I-Pace, the specifications were amended to add in a towing capacity of 750 kg. Now, that’s better than nothing as it does mean an I-Pace owner could tow a small cargo trailer/teardrop caravan.
Though it obviously falls well short of the towing capacity on the Tesla Model X, then again the I-Pace is priced as a cheaper luxury SUV. More direct competition for the I-Pace is the Audi E-Tron and Mercedes EQC, both of which can tow 1,800 kg. Hence, the I-Pace falls short of the competition in terms of being an electric tow car.
Expensive Tow Bar Option For 750kg
I appreciate that the I-Pace is a Jaguar and a luxury/premium vehicle and therefore options/accessories generally cost more than they do on other vehicles. However, I do believe that the detachable tow bar package for the I-Pace is very expensive at £1,685. Below is an image from the I-Pace Accessories Brochure where the towing system price is stated.
The detachable tow bar on the I-Pace is nowhere near as fancy as the fully motorised tow hitch you will find on the Mercedes EQC for instance. I don’t think it would be completely irrational to argue that the excessively high price for the towing system on the I-Pace is intentional to put off potential customers from towing with the I-Pace reflecting the previous comments made about towing with the I-Pace from the Jaguar CEO previously.
The I-Pace Actually Won a Towing Award!
So back in 2019 the Caravan and Motorhome Club as part of their tow car awards did award the I-Pace a best alternatively-fuelled tow car award. However, the I-Pace was the only fully electric tow car featured within the testing.
Hence, really not too much can be drawn from that award really. The judges did note the key benefits of the I-Pace being good power and stability due to the low centre of gravity with the battery low down in the vehicle.
For the weight of the I-Pace (2,200 kg unladen) and the huge power/torque figures pulling a 750 kg caravan/trailer is well within the capabilities of the vehicle. In reality, there is sufficient power for the I-Pace to pull much heavier loads.
It really just comes down to Jaguars concerns about range when towing which is the reason for that very limited 750 kg towing capacity. However, the reality is while the I-Pace isn’t the most efficient EV for its size, weight and battery pack, its also not the least efficient either as I’ll discuss below.
Jaguar I-Pace Features and Reviews
While it may come across in my comments above that I’m giving the I-Pace a bit of a hard time, the context of my comments is always from the perspective of judging it as an electric ‘tow’ car. As just an electric car I actually really like the I-Pace, I think it looks good and the I-Pace has won many industry awards.
To provide more details on the I-Pace as an electric car in general and how it competes against one of its closest competition the Audi E-Tron I’ve included the comparison/review from DrivingElectric.
In the video above Vicky found that Audi E-Tron returned an efficiency figure of 2.3 miles per kWh, whereas the Jaguar I-Pace returned a figure of 2.5 miles per kWh. Hence, the Jaguar will consume less energy to cover the same distance.
Therefore as the E-Tron and I-Pace have almost exactly the same useable battery capacity at around 85kWh, the I-Pace will simply go further under normal driving conditions and while towing. Part of this efficiency difference is due to the fact the E-Tron is a heavier car by several hundred kilos.
My Thoughts On The Jaguar I-Pace…
While as purely an electric car the I-Pace competes well against the competition from the likes of Audi and Mercedes, in terms of an electric tow car its currently not competitive with a 750kg maximum towing capacity. The I-Pace, unfortunately, sits alongside the Mustang Mach-E and BMW iX3 with their disappointing 750 kg towing capacity.
I believe the I-Pace chassis and drivetrain are more than capable of providing a much higher towing capacity. The limited towing capacity is likely more to do with Jaguars concern of owners towing heavier loads and reporting a significant range decrease. However, that’s true of every EV, and on average when towing with an EV you should expect the range to decrease by roughly 50%.
Therefore, I hope on future I-Pace models/revisions Jaguar looks again at the towing capacity and increases it to make it more competitive. It would also make that expensive towing package more palatable.