Automotive News: Jaguar's i-Pace EV dying a painful death

The Jaguar I-Pace earned the prestigious World Car of the Year title in 2019. It had an early-mover advantage in Europe, but it was all downhill from there.

Sales never took off, and the I-Pace was riddled with countless recalls, reliability issues and even fires. Thousands of the i-Pace EVs are rotting in scrapyards and the toxins from their rotting batteries are sure to seep into groundwater.

Jaguar i-Pace in Florida - burned to a crisp — Jaguar i-Pace in Florida – burned to a crisp. Photo Supplied by Gonzalo Salazar of Florida – it was his i-Pace

The I-Pace has been recalled in several markets at least five times for battery failures, and late last year, Jaguar announced that it would be buying back almost 2,800 of them from pissed off owners in the United States. Similar buyback programs have been launched elsewhere around the world.

The batteries, sourced from LG, are prone to thermal overload and can catch fire. While Jaguar has attempted various software fixes, including diagnostic data to identify packs at risk of spontaneously combusting, the British carmaker has essentially thrown in the towel by offering buybacks.