Jaguar SVO boss: I-Pace SVR 'will happen'

The boss of Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations arm has said it’s a question of “when, not if” the firm builds an SVR version of the I-Pace battery-electric SUV.

Michael van der Sande made the admission to Autocar, despite also acknowledging that a timeline and official development plan for the car is not yet in place. SVO is prioritising the roll-out of more volume-focused models.

SVO already develops and builds the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy race cars that support the Formula E electric race series. “Those cars all come from our base in Oxford Road,” said van der Sande, “and they’ve taught us a lot. By the time you fit the roll-cage and race kit, they’re only slightly lighter than standard.

“But the battery’s duty cycle is very different in racing. We’ve already learned plenty about battery management, heat management and software development that could be useful for road cars. When the call comes, we’ll be ready.”

The eTrophy race car produces no more power than the road-going I-Pace. The bulk of changes are instead focused on the chassis. But if given the green light, it’s likely SVO would look to uprate the existing car’s 395bhp output to bring the 0-62mph time down significantly from 4.8sec.