Two years after Jaguar’s controversial reinvention set the automotive world talking, Vicki Butler-Henderson has driven the car that now has to prove there is substance behind the strategy. And her first impressions of the 1,030hp Jaguar Type 01 are rather more positive than some might expect.
Few new Jaguars have arrived carrying quite so much baggage.
Jaguar’s dramatic rebranding divided opinion long before its new-generation electric car appeared. For traditionalists, the concern was whether the company was abandoning too much of what made a Jaguar a Jaguar. For its supporters, the transformation represented the sort of radical break necessary to give the marque a viable future.
Now the debate moves from advertising, branding and concept cars to something considerably more important: the car itself.
Vicki Butler-Henderson has taken her first drive in the new Jaguar Type 01, and while one drive cannot answer every question surrounding Jaguar’s reinvention, her initial verdict suggests the engineering team may have produced something considerably more interesting than the controversy surrounding it.
The video review is located at the end of this supporting article…
The most powerful Jaguar yet
The numbers certainly make a statement.
The Type 01 uses three electric motors producing a combined 1,030hp, making it the most powerful production Jaguar yet. Jaguar claims 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, while official driving range stands at approximately 450 miles.
Rapid charging can add around 200 miles in 13 minutes under suitable conditions.
But this is not intended simply to be an electric supercar.
Jaguar has positioned the Type 01 as a large, luxurious grand tourer – and that distinction becomes important once Vicki gets it onto the road.
What does Vicki Butler-Henderson think?
One of the most encouraging observations concerns the way the Type 01 delivers its performance.
Rather than concentrating solely on the headline 0-62mph figure, Vicki highlights the strength of the car once already travelling at speed. Its acceleration from around 50mph gives it the effortless overtaking ability expected of a serious GT.
That matters.
Jaguar’s finest sporting road cars have traditionally combined performance with the ability to cover long distances without constantly reminding their occupants how hard the machinery is working.
The Type 01 appears to be attempting an electric interpretation of the same philosophy.
More surprising is its handling.
At around 2,700kg, this is an exceptionally heavy car, yet Vicki reports that it disguises much of that mass from behind the wheel.
Two of the three electric motors are mounted at the rear, giving the all-wheel-drive system a rear-biased character. Combined with 50:50 weight distribution, air suspension and active dampers, the result is a large GT that apparently feels considerably smaller once the road begins to turn.
The steering is initially light before gaining weight through a corner, helping give the driver confidence without turning the Type 01 into an unnecessarily aggressive performance car.
There is another encouraging sign: it rides properly.
Despite its size, weight and enormous wheels, Vicki finds the Type 01 comfortable at lower speeds as well as composed when driven harder.
Has Jaguar remembered the I-PACE?
There is an interesting precedent here.
The original Jaguar I-PACE arrived in 2018 and demonstrated that an electric Jaguar did not necessarily have to sacrifice driving enjoyment. Its combination of low-mounted battery weight, responsive steering and surprisingly agile handling became one of the car’s strongest qualities.
The Type 01 is a very different proposition, but Vicki’s experience suggests Jaguar has not forgotten that lesson.
That could ultimately prove more important than its 1,030hp output.
Electric cars capable of startling straight-line acceleration are no longer unusual. Creating a large luxury EV that feels distinctive from behind the wheel is considerably harder.
A Jaguar you won’t mistake for anything else
Visually, the Type 01 remains every bit as controversial as Jaguar’s new direction.
There is a huge bonnet, extraordinarily slim headlights, concealed rear lighting and a solid rear tailgate with no conventional rear windscreen.
Instead, a camera feeds the view behind the car to a display positioned at the base of the windscreen – a solution Vicki remains unconvinced by.
An active rear spoiler contributes to what Jaguar says is the most aerodynamically efficient production car it has built.
Charging ports are provided on both sides of the car, while the Type 01 name deliberately connects the new model with Jaguar’s C-Type, D-Type and E-Type lineage. The ’01’ signifies both zero tailpipe emissions and, symbolically, the beginning of a new chapter.
Whether traditional Jaguar enthusiasts will accept that connection is another question entirely.
Vicki, however, describes the visual impact as a genuine ‘wow’ moment – and importantly, in a positive sense.
A very different interpretation of Jaguar luxury
The cabin represents an equally significant departure.
Traditional Jaguar materials such as wood and leather remain, but they are presented in a much more minimalist environment.
A prominent centre structure runs through the cabin, effectively dividing the interior into individual spaces for each of the four occupants.
Ahead of the driver is a wide digital display, while a comparatively small central touchscreen handles other functions.
Jaguar has also placed considerable emphasis on the audio experience. The immersive system incorporates a full-width soundbar and even uses vibration through the seats to add another physical dimension to the music.
It is luxury interpreted through technology rather than simply another recreation of the wood-and-leather Jaguar cabin of old.
Range is good – but reality intervenes
A claimed 450-mile range puts the Type 01 into serious long-distance EV territory.
Vicki nevertheless points out that sustained motorway driving can reduce that figure to nearer 320 miles.
That is hardly disastrous for a car of this performance and size, but it illustrates why official electric range figures should always be viewed in context.
Likewise, adding around 200 miles in 13 minutes is quick, but Vicki does not regard the charging performance as sufficiently exceptional to transform expectations of long-distance electric driving.
These are important qualifications for a car being positioned as an electric grand tourer.
23-inch wheels – or 21s for greater range
The car driven by Vicki wears huge 23-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels, although smaller 21-inch alternatives will be available for buyers prioritising efficiency and range.
Pirelli has developed dedicated P ZERO tyres for the Type 01.
Their Elect designation identifies tyres engineered specifically around the characteristics of high-performance electric vehicles, while Pirelli’s Noise Cancelling System uses sound-absorbing material within the tyre to reduce noise transmitted into the cabin.
On a luxury EV, where the absence of an engine makes tyre and wind noise much more noticeable, that refinement work is particularly relevant.
What will the Jaguar Type 01 rival?
Jaguar is deliberately moving away from the part of the premium market where its previous saloons and SUVs competed directly with mainstream German luxury brands.
That leaves the Type 01 facing a slightly different group of rivals.
Performance-focused electric models including the Porsche Taycan and electric offerings from Mercedes-AMG inevitably enter the conversation, while the Polestar 5 provides another interpretation of the high-performance electric GT.
But Vicki identifies perhaps the most interesting competitor of all: the forthcoming Range Rover GT.
That creates an intriguing internal contest.
Jaguar and Range Rover may share the same parent company, but both will be attempting to persuade wealthy buyers that their interpretation of British electric luxury deserves a place alongside established premium and luxury marques.
Vicki’s first verdict
The Type 01 carries an almost unreasonable burden.
It is not simply replacing another Jaguar. It is effectively being asked to demonstrate that the company’s controversial reinvention can work.
After driving it, Vicki Butler-Henderson appears cautiously convinced.
The performance is enormous, but perhaps more importantly the Type 01 seems to possess the ride, agility and high-speed character required of a genuine grand tourer.
There are reservations. Its real-world motorway range will inevitably fall short of the headline figure, the charging performance does not rewrite the EV rulebook, and the decision to eliminate the conventional rear window will not appeal to everyone.
But the fundamentals appear promising.
Motoring Echo Verdict
The Jaguar Type 01 will not end the argument about Jaguar – and perhaps it was never supposed to.
For those of us who value the traditional Jaguar combination of elegant design, sporting character and unmistakably British restraint, the Type 01 remains a dramatic departure. There is little point pretending otherwise.
But Vicki Butler-Henderson’s first drive introduces an important new element into the debate.
Whatever we think about the styling or the strategy, Jaguar appears to have taken the engineering seriously.
A 1,030hp electric Jaguar was always going to be fast. More significant is Vicki’s impression that a 2.7-tonne machine can feel agile, ride comfortably and deliver the effortless mid-range performance expected of a great GT.
That doesn’t automatically make the Type 01 the Jaguar traditionalists wanted.
It does, however, suggest it might be a considerably better Jaguar to drive than its critics expected.
And that gives the leaping cat something it desperately needs as this extraordinary new chapter begins: a fighting chance.
Watch Vicki Butler-Henderson’s full video review to see the Jaguar Type 01 on the road and hear her complete first impressions.
