Jaguar has unveiled the Type 01, an all-electric "Grand Tourer" sedan with 1,000 horsepower, zero-to-62 acceleration in 3.2 seconds, and an estimated range of 320 miles at highway speeds. The car starts at £130,000 in the UK and $130,500 in the US. JLR describes it as "the most technically advanced, powerful and aerodynamic Jaguar ever engineered."
The launch in New York marks the first public appearance of Jaguar's reinvented identity as a luxury electric brand. The Type 01's design has triggered sharply divided reactions. Car journalist Steve Fowler called it "incredible" and said it made him "proud to be British." Craig Kinnersley, who runs a luxury car consultancy, described it as an "unmitigated catastrophe" that looks like a hearse. Social media users compared its appearance unfavourably to a Tesla Cybertruck crossed with a Bentley Continental.
The Type 01 launch follows Jaguar's controversial 2024 rebrand. The campaign featured a surreal advertisement with models in bright, colourful outfits and no cars, followed by concept vehicles in "Barbie pink" and "London Blue". The rollout triggered backlash on social media and in the press, with critics claiming JLR was betraying the brand's heritage by going "woke". Jaguar's design chief Gerry McGovern stated at the time, "Jaguar has no desire to be loved by everybody."
JLR announced a £15 billion investment strategy in early 2023 to reinvent Jaguar as an all-electric luxury marque. Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive Research noted that Jaguar's core demographic had abandoned the brand years ago, leaving the company with "nothing to lose" in attempting a radical overhaul. The brand had struggled to compete with Audi and BMW in the upmarket segment.
Schmidt added that the controversial rebrand kept Jaguar's name in public consciousness during a period when sales were minimal, bringing it "from the back pages to the front pages" of a crowded international market. Since the Miami launch event, design chief McGovern has departed, JLR has ended its relationship with the rebranding agency, and the company has appointed a new chief executive.
Alistair Weaver from Edmunds told the BBC that Jaguar deserved credit for the Type 01's boldness, though he noted the firm faces headwinds in the US market, where EV popularity is declining. The Type 01 will compete against Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, and emerging Chinese brands like Denza. Ginny Buckley of Electrifying.com said the car may be "extraordinary enough to justify blowing up everything it stood for before," but the challenge remains convincing buyers to purchase it.