- Jaguar I-Pace pre-production car taken on a 200-mile range test along the Californian West Coast
- Most northern point of the route took the car within close range of Tesla's factory in South Freemont
- Jaguar confirmed that prices and specification of its first all-electric premium car would be available in March
- It's expected to ring in at £60,000 - that's £10,000 less than the most affordable Tesla Model X on sale now
If Elon Musk had peered out of his California office window last week he might have caught a glimpse of the new electric car that's set to challenge his Tesla brand's market dominance.
The vehicle in question is Jaguar's 2018 I-Pace, an all-electric premium SUV that is set to undercut the most affordable Tesla equivalent - the Model X 75D - by £10,000 and wipe the floor with it in a game of Top Trumps.
The British manufacturer has been conducting final test on a pre-production car in the US, including a 200-mile drive along California's West Coast on a single charge, ahead of it going on sale in March with a price tag in the region of £60,000.
Tesla tester: Jaguar's heavily camouflaged I-Pace electric SUV completed final production-ready tests in California ahead of order books being opened in March
Jaguar engineers have been snapped taking the near production-ready I-Pace on a long-distance range test from Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, without having to stop to replenish electricity in the vehicle's Lithium-Ion battery.
The most northern point of that route took the I-Pace within 200 miles of Tesla's South Freemont factory, which looks set to produce some 500,000 Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles in 2018.
Jaguar said the US-based test was to mark the one-year anniversary of the I-Pace's debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show, though the zero-emissions sprint through California could easily have been a warning shot to Tesla that it will begin to face stiff competition from rival mainstream vehicle makers from 2018.
Buyers can even place a deposit on the car now, if they so choose.
The electric SUV was taken on a 200-mile range test to ensure it could cope with a long-distance trip on a single charge
While Jaguar hasn't confirmed any figures for the production model yet, the concept version of the I-Pace was said to have 396bhp
That's enough power to propel the zero-emissions car from 0 to 62mph in less than 4 seconds - almost a second quicker than the lowest-priced Tesla Model X
Jaguar said thousands of potential customers have already hit the ‘I want one’ button on its website to place a deposit or register a strong interest in the hotly anticipated electric SUV.
Not only does this guarantee them guestlist-like first access to the order books that open in March, but a lucky few will also help Jaguar's engineers conduct the final validation tests before the I-Pace is rubber-stamped for production.
Side by side: Tesla's Model X (left) is quite a bit bigger than Jaguar's I-Pace (right) and features 7 seats instead of 5 and Falcon-wing rear doors
The Jaguar I-Pace Concept debuted at the Los Angeles Motor Show last year and was back again in 2017. From the looks of the near production ready car, most of it looks very similar indeed
While no official figures have been revealed by Jaguar, the concept stats suggest the I-Pace could be a real headache for Musk and Tesla.
A maximum power output of 396bhp and 700 Nm of torque has been quoted, while sprints from a standstill to 62mph should take less than four seconds.
And with a range of 310 miles and a price tag starting from £60,000, it gazumps the most affordable Tesla Model X that's on sale today.
2018 Jaguar I-Pace vs 2017 Tesla Model X 75D
JAGUAR I-PACE
Available: Mid-2018
Price (claimed): from around £60,000
Power (claimed): 396bhp
Torque (claimed): 700Nm
0-62mph (claimed): less than 4 seconds
Top speed: n/a
Range (claimed): 310 miles
Doors: 5
Seats: 5
TESLA MODEL X 75D
Available: Now
Price: £70,500
Power: 256bhp
Torque: 249Nm
0-60mph: 4.9 seconds
Top speed: 130mph
Range: 259 miles
Doors: 5 (Falcon-wing rear doors)
Seats: 7A more comparable Model X would be the 100D with a claimed range of 351 miles - though that car costs from a whopping £87,200, some £27,000 more than the Jaguar is expected to retail for.
Ian Hoban, Jaguar Vehicle Line Director, said: 'After 1.5 million global test miles, the I-Pace is ready for production and is proven to deliver long distances on a single charge.
'Jaguar's first battery electric vehicle will also be fast to charge; our target is a zero to 80 per cent charge being achievable in a short break.'
Jaguar said the concept version of the I-Pace would be capable of covering 310 miles on a single charge. If the production car can replicate that figure it will go for 51 miles longer than a Tesla Model X 75
Jaguar said it conducted some of the car's final tests in the US to mark the first year anniversary of the concept car breaking cover
The car was hard to miss driving along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in this electric-shock camouflage, designed to hide the styling features of the vehicle
Full specification and pricing for Jaguar's electric performance SUV will be announced in March 2018 when the red tape for the order books is cut.
That means Elon Musk will have to wait another three months before learning if the I-Pace will be a real threat to his electric-vehicl
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