Jaguar I-Pace long-term test: report 5
When Jaguar launched the fully electric I-Pace, it had few rivals, but that’s certainly not the case any more. So, is it still worth considering? We’re living with one to find out...
The car Jaguar I-Pace EV400 R-Dynamic HSE Black Run by Steve Huntingford, editor
Why it’s here To see if Jaguar’s electric SUV still feels like the future, or if it’s had its day
Needs to Combine its sleek looks with dynamics, luxury and range worthy of a prestige electric car
Mileage 3428 List price £77,495 Target Price £74,033 Price as tested £84,035 Test range 220 miles Official range 261 miles
11 May – Locks down
Back in 2018, a survey found that 42% of British motorists weren’t sure if electric cars could be put through an automatic car wash. And while it seems unlikely that this percentage would be anywhere near as high if the same question were asked today, for the avoidance of any doubt, yes, they absolutely can.
That said – and at the risk of muddying the waters – I actually did run into problems the other week after getting my Jaguar I-Pace jet washed. Don’t get me wrong, there was no danger of anybody being electrocuted. But after the car had been cleaned, I found that the doors would no longer lock, either via the plipper or the lock buttons on the door handles.
Generally this would mean that either the power was still on, or one of the doors wasn’t shut properly. But a quick check revealed that everything was as it should be. Even when I broke out my IT training and tried switching the car on and off again, it remained stubbornly unsecure.
Stumped, I called Jaguar Assist, who weren’t able to diagnose the problem over the phone, but promised that someone would be out to help within a couple of hours. So I could get on with my day while I waited, I decided to lock the car the old-fashioned way; i.e. by putting the key in the lock, which is hidden behind the door handle.
Or at least I tried to. Unfortunately, because the I-Pace’s door handles automatically retract to sit flush with the doors when the car is locked – so that they don’t spoil the lovely lines – what actually happened was that the handle closed over the key, jamming it in place. The only way to remove it was to deploy the handle again. And, you guessed it, that meant unlocking the car. Blast!
So, just what was the cause of the initial problem? Well, when Jaguar Assist turned up well within the two hours promised, they found that water had got to a sensor under the bonnet that tells the car this is securely closed. Ironically, all that was needed to fix the sensor was to give it a quick clean.
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