Waymo has just taken delivery of its first three all-electric I-Pace crossovers that are set to become part of its huge self-driving fleet.
These initial units have yet to be equipped with the self-driving company’s suite of autonomous hardware and software technologies. Speaking to Tech Crunch, Waymo said it is currently testing the vehicles on local streets to generate self-driving design requirements and develop durability tests.
In March, Waymo announced a strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to use the all-electric I-Pace in its upcoming fleet of autonomous taxis. Waymo ordered an impressive 20,000 I-Pace vehicles from JLR and will roll them out as part of its driverless fleet in 2020.
After the Tesla Model X, the Jaguar I-Pace is the first premium all-electric crossover to hit the market, beating out German rivals like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz and rocketing the British marque to the forefront of EV technology.
The I-Pace is offered in a single variant fitted with two electric motors, one at the front and one at the rear. All up, the crossover deliveries 395 hp and 513 lb-ft of torque, enough to send the car to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a respectable 4.5 seconds and a 124 mph (200 km/h) top speed.
In the U.S., the EPA estimates the I-Pace can cover 240 miles on a single charge. In Europe, the range under the WLTP cycle sits at 298 miles (475 km). A 100kW fast charger allows the I-Pace’s battery to be replenished to 80 per cent in roughly 40 minutes. It takes 10 hours to top the battery up to the same percentage using a standard home charger.
