Jaguar’s new EV heads to the Arctic Circle for winter testing
Assessments are ‘designed to push every system to its limits’
Jaguar has been putting its upcoming four-door electric luxury car through punishing winter testing in the Arctic Circle.
The electric GT, which was revealed in Type 00 concept form amid much controversy in December 2024, is now undergoing a full testing schedule as it readies for release.
As part of ‘the most rigorous global validation programme in Jaguar history’, 150 prototypes of the as-yet unnamed EV have been driven ‘hundreds of thousands of miles’ through a variety of environments, including desert highways and frozen lakes, to ensure that each part of the vehicle can cope with extremes in temperature.
Matt Becker, vehicle engineering director, Jaguar, said: “Jaguar has always been about driving pleasure and our new electric four-door GT will be no different. It marks a step-change in our technical ambitions. Innovative in-house electric propulsion technologies combine with the car’s unique proportions and low centre of gravity for a luxurious grand tourer that drives like nothing else.
Jaguar says that this latest round of testing on frozen lakes in Sweden is designed to ‘refine the distinct characteristics of the four-door GT’s drive modes’. Low-friction surfaces like snow and ice often make it easier for testers to see distinct changes in vehicle settings.
Set to produce 986bhp, the Jaguar will get a three-motor setup with torque vectoring technology, which can actively shift power around the four wheels for better grip and performance overall. It also incorporates all-wheel-steering and 23-inch winter tyres as well as air suspension and clever dampers to ensure the best-possible ride quality.
