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Jaguar Land Rover promises all-electrified power trains by 2020

Two new electric concepts also debuted today -- one from the past, and one from the future.

Jaguar

Jaguar Land Rover is throwing its hat into the all-electric ring, promising that all new vehicles will be offered with an electrified power train by 2020, be it full EV, plug-in hybrid or mild hybrid.

This week the company showed off three electrified vehicles: one with vintage flair, one straight from the future and one that consumers can actually buy in 2018.

jaguar-i-pace-london-6.jpg

If all EVs looked like the Jaguar I-Pace we wouldn't look at an internal combustion engine again. 

Jaguar

The consumer-focused Jaguar I-Pace sports dual electric motors, putting out 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The 90-kWh battery can store enough juice for 220 miles of driving. Looking a bit like an F-Pace shot with a dose of science fiction, the I-Pace cuts a strong figure and will join the Tesla Model X as the only two all-electric crossovers on the market. Yes, Chevrolet claims the Bolt is a crossover based on EPA interior measurements, but we here at Roadshow aren't drinking that Kool-Aid.

Taking a cue from the past, the E-Type Zero is a one-off labor of love is based on a 1968 Series 1.5 Roadster. Yep, the vehicle Enzo Ferrari claimed to be "the most beautiful car in the world" now has an electric power train under the hood.

Jaguar's E-type Zero is a vintage EV masterpiece

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The small 40-kWh battery can only provide enough juice for 170 miles of driving, but who cares when the electric motor produces 220 kW -- 295 horsepower to us Americans -- and can hit 62 miles per hour from a standstill in 5.5 seconds, a full second faster than the original E-Type. The electric battery and motor occupy the same space as the original six-cylinder engine and transmission, so no modifications were needed to electrify the donor car. The E-Type Zero maintains the same weight distribution and handling characteristics of the original, making this a conversion we can get behind. Unfortunately, this is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, so don't expect to see the E-type Zero in dealerships (or at car shows) anytime soon.

Looking to the future of driving and car ownership, Jaguar has also developed the Future-Type concept, a vision for the electric vehicle of 2040. This perspective entails a future in which the only part of a car owned by a consumer is the steering wheel, dubbed the Sayer after Malcolm Sayer, designer of the E-type. 

Drivers can call an autonomous Future-Type to their homes when ready for a journey. The vehicle will have car-to-car communication, ensuring a safer ride and easing traffic congestion. Fortunately, Jaguar Land Rover also gives drivers the option of piloting the car themselves, once the tedious part of the journey is finished.

The Future-Type features 2+1 seating that can be configured for socializing when in autonomous mode. The renderings look a bit like, and I mean this in the best possible way, a beetle with wheels. There isn't much of a hood to speak of, just a windshield that blends seamlessly with the roof to a sharp crease in the rear. Huge wheels flank each corner and the scissor doors top off the ultramodern look.

Jaguar Land Rover joins other manufacturers that have committed to bringing more EVs to market. Mercedes-Benz has promised 10 new electric models by 2022 while Volvo announced it would be electrifying all vehicles from 2019 onward.

Jaguar's Future-Type is the next-wave concept of autonomous vehicles

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Emme Hall Former editor for CNET Cars
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
Emme Hall
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.

Article updated on September 7, 2017 at 1:00 AM PDT

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Emme Hall Former editor for CNET Cars
I love two-seater, RWD convertibles and own a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata for pavement fun and a lifted 2001 Miata for pre-running. I race air-cooled Volkswagens in desert races like the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000. I have won the Rebelle Rally, seven-day navigational challenge, twice and I am the only driver to compete in an EV, the Rivian R1T.
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