Jaguar unveils polarising Type 01 electric car in New York
JLR has finally revealed the first new Jaguar model since the brand’s controversial relaunch two years ago. The all-electric Type 01, a four-door Grand Tourer with a long bonnet echoing the 1960s E-Type, made its public debut in New York on Tuesday. It’s a radical departure for the classic British marque, and reactions have been sharply divided.
A bold gamble for a struggling brand
The Type 01 is part of a strategy announced in early 2023, backed by a £15 billion investment in new models and technologies. Jaguar once epitomised Swinging Sixties British cool, supplying E-Types to Brigitte Bardot and Steve McQueen. But it lost its lustre, struggling to sell upmarket saloons and SUVs to executives who preferred Audis and BMWs. Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive Research said Jaguar’s core demographic had given up on the brand years ago, so it had nothing to lose.
The car itself packs electric motors producing around 1000 horsepower, hitting 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. JLR claims a range of up to 320 miles at sustained highway speed and calls it the most technically advanced, powerful and aerodynamic Jaguar ever engineered. Prices start at £130,000 in the UK and $130,500 in the US.
Mixed reactions and an uncertain future
Some critics were scathing. Facebook user Ken Katch said it looked like a Cybertruck and a Bentley Continental had an illegitimate child. Craig Kinnersley, who runs a luxury car consultancy, called it an unmitigated catastrophe on LinkedIn. But car journalist Steve Fowler said the Type 01 looks incredible and makes him proud to be British. Alistair Weaver of Edmunds noted that if Jaguar had designed a car that looked like anything else, it would have had no hope.
The unveiling follows a turbulent period. The 2024 rebranding campaign, featuring a surreal advert with no cars and a pink concept car, triggered a furious backlash and accusations of going woke. Design chief Gerry McGovern, who said Jaguar has no desire to be loved by everybody, has since left the company. JLR also parted ways with the agency behind the campaign. The Type 01 is expected to be the first of three new electric designs, but whether enough buyers will pay £130,000 remains to be seen. As Fowler put it, it really is a last throw of the dice.
